MUST WATCH: 8-year-old with cerebral palsy finishes triathlon in most inspiring way - East Idaho News
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MUST WATCH: 8-year-old with cerebral palsy finishes triathlon in most inspiring way

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An 8-year-old English boy with cerebral palsy has become an international inspiration for the way he crossed the finish line.

Cheered on by hundreds of spectators as he approached the end of the race, Today.com reports Bailey Matthews ditched his walker and began heading unassisted toward the finish line. He fell twice, but immediately got up each time and continued on his way as his father rolled the walker behind him.

After crossing the finish line, photographers captured Bailey turning around to give his father a celebratory hug.

“You can see his little face when he came round and saw everyone; that was his way of finishing in style and showing everyone what he could do,” the boy’s mother, Julie Hardcastle, told The Yorkshire Post. “It was the response from the crowd that pushed him to do that.”

Bailey finished a 100-meter lake swim, a 4k bike ride and a 1.3k run before crossing the finish line Sunday at the Castle Triathlon in Yorkshire, England.

“He is a truly inspirational little boy and there was not a dry eye at the finishing line as he pushed his walker away to run the last 200 meters by himself,” race director Brian Adcock told TODAY.com. “We are very proud to meet him.”

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