The footage of Derek Redmond’s extraordinary battle to finish the 400m sprint with a torn hamstring in the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games has already been recognised as one of the most heart-rending and inspirational sporting moments of all time. In the famous event, a badly injured Derek overcame agony and disappointment, with the support of his loving father, and valiantly struggled through the last 250m of the race, to a standing ovation from the crowd. The moving footage has already been featured on advertisements for both Nike and Visa. Almost twenty years on, however, Derek’s plight is still inspiring people all over the world, and in greater numbers than ever before!
A recently added YouTube video featuring the coverage of the race, set to the song ‘You Raise Me Up’, is interspersed with text narrating Derek’s story, and encourages people to carry on through adversity and support the ones they love. Baring the title ‘Never Ever Give Up in Life’, the video has struck a chord with thousands of users worldwide. For some, it is a demonstration of physical achievement, one user commenting ‘2day I ran the great south run and my knee gave way at 6m. Had to walk the rest & I thought of u in 92 Olympics’. For many, however, it serves as an analogy for determinedly overcoming life’s hardships, and rouses a highly emotional response, one user simply writing, ‘Shivers and Tears. Wow’.
Although this particular copy of the video, currently the 16th most viewed in its category, boasts almost 700,000 views, the clip exists under various titles, meaning the real viewing figure may stretch to over 1,000,000. It is unclear why the video has ‘gone viral’ at this point in time; while some users from America report that the video in being played in churches and schools, many others say it has simply been sent to them by a friend or relative who wants them to share in the message . Though not a victory in the sense of medals, Derek’s race is clearly a triumph for people from all walks of life who have suffered set-backs, as well as those who have offered a helping hand.
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