When Melanie Bailey crossed the finish line of Eastern Dakota Conference Cross Country Championship in early October, she didn’t look up to see her time, nor did she care her place of finish in the race. Her concern was with Danielle LeNoue. 

Bailey was running a slower pace than many of the nearly 200-runners on the 2.4 mile course along the Buffalo River at the Ponderosa Golf Club in Glyndon, Minnesota. As she approached the 2-mile mark, of the elimination event, she noticed LeNoue on the ground in obvious distress.

The Devils Lake (North Dakota) High School senior chose to abandon her focus on competition and instead focus on sportsmanship and the human spirit.

“I have seen people strain muscles and cry before. I have seen people cry because the race itself can be pretty stressful,” Bailey said. “She was not crying like that, she was crying really, really hard.”

LeNoue, a four-year cross country runner from Fargo (North Dakota) South High School, said she had already completed the hilly segment of the course and was running on nearly flat terrain when her injury occurred.

“I was running behind a row of trees when I felt a pop in my knee,” LeNoue said. “I immediately fell to the ground.”

Already running with shin-splints, she attempted to get back on her feet, but the pain was too intense for her to bear any weight on the injured leg. After an attempt to crawl toward the finish line also failed, she conceded to the pain and waited for help.

LeNoue said as she was writhing in pain 30-40 runners passed by her. Then, much to her surprise and delight, the unexpected occurred. Bailey stopped and asked if she could help.

“I was shocked that somebody actually stopped,” LeNoue said. “I didn’t expect somebody from the race to stop and help me because it is a competition.”

But Bailey proved that day that she is more than about winning and competition, she is about being a good person, which is something she learned from her godparents. Without hesitation, Bailey recalled the teaching of her godparents when she stopped to help. She said they always told her that kindness is key and to always treat others how you want to be treated.

That golden rule makes it easy to understand Bailey’s answer to why she stopped to help.

“It was the right thing to do. I didn’t have a second thought about it. I went right towards her.”

At first the two tried to walk with Bailey taking pressure off the injured leg, but due to their athletic footwear and the course terrain, it was too difficult and actually increased LeNoue’s pain. However, Bailey didn’t abandon helping.

Melanie Bailey carries Danielle LeNoue to the finish line

“I stood in front of her and told her to get on my back,” Bailey said. “She kept telling me that I should not have to wait for her and that I should keep going with my race.”

Once LeNoue was securely on her back, Bailey confirmed that her actions were indeed helping ease the pain. Despite LeNoue’s insistence that Bailey focus on her own race, two proceeded as one until they met a golf cart just short of the finish line. Bailey then continued to the finish line with LeNoue in good hands, but she still had her new friend on her mind.

“I was more worried about Danielle,” Bailey said of her thoughts as her race concluded. “I was really worried and after I finished I immediately went looking for her and finally found her.”

During this short exchange that lasted less than a quarter of a mile, the two student-athletes from schools that are 166 miles apart formed a bond that will last for a lifetime. For both runners this would be the last cross country race of their high school careers. LeNoue said she felt some disappointment that she was not be able to cross the finish line, but quickly added that the way her career concluded was defiantly memorable.

“After we got to talk to each other, we both wouldn’t want to finish the race any other way,” She said. “We finished it a really cool way. At this point I am not disappointed anymore, because I did gain a new friend. I think it was fate we were supposed to meet, supposed to be friends.”

Meeting new people is something that Bailey had struggled with a few years ago, prior to her involvement with interscholastic activities and athletics. That changed with her involvement in drama, speech and jazz choir as well as running cross country and track and field. Being part of each of those groups has provided her with skills that may have been taught to her in a classroom or at home, but came together on the course and the stage.

“My freshman year I didn’t really talk to anyone, I was really quiet,” she said. “I was introverted and didn’t hang out with people. I joined all these activities and it really opened my eyes to a whole new perspective.”

Just like her high-school years were changed by the participation in activities and athletics so was her career path.

Bailey said that her back-and-forth decision to become a physical therapist was clearly swayed after the events of October 11.

“I remember right after that race while sitting on the bus, I felt so good,” she said. “That is how I knew [physical therapy] is what I wanted to do. I felt everything, everything was light up in my body, I knew it is what I wanted to do.

“I felt so good that day, I was really proud of myself.”