A story of bravery for beginning readers.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and Yoonmin was bored. She wandered outside and sat under her favorite tree, thinking of ways to fill her day. Just then, she overheard some kids talking about the Big Foot Race that was happening the next weekend. It was a long-distance race through the forest near Yoonmin’s house. The prize for first place was $50! Yoonmin decided that’s how she would spend her day – training for the race.

Yoonmin sits under a tree

Yoonmin grabbed her sneakers and a water bottle and went for a practice run in the forest. As she ran, her legs got tired quickly. She had to stop to take many breaks. “I’ll never survive five miles,” she wheezed, collapsing against a tree. Her lungs burned, and a stitch stabbed her side. Remembering the prize money, she pushed herself back to her feet. She took a long drink of water and continued jogging at a slower pace. She didn’t want to give up.

The next day, she rested and did some stretching exercises to loosen her muscles. The following morning, she went for another practice run in the forest. This time, she didn’t get as tired. She was able to go a little farther before needing a break. “I’m improving already,” Yoonmin said with a smile.

Yoonmin gets tired running

That afternoon, Yoonmin’s friend Saku stopped by. Yoonmin told her all about the race and how she was training. “Can I be your running buddy?” asked Saku. “It will be more fun if we train together.” Yoonmin agreed, and they went into the forest for a group practice. Having Saku, there helped Yoonmin push herself. They ran together for longer periods before stopping. They also challenged each other with speed interval exercises – running fast for one minute then slower for two minutes. By the end of their practice, Yoonmin felt stronger than ever.

Yoonmin and Saku run together

The big day of the race finally arrived. Yoonmin woke up excited but also a little nervous. What if she wasn’t ready? What if she got tired halfway through? She ate a healthy breakfast with protein and carbs to fuel her body. She met up with Saku to walk to the starting line. When they arrived, Yoonmin was surprised by how many kids had signed up. There were at least 30 runners of all different ages. She started to feel doubtful that she could finish, let alone win.

But Saku encouraged her. “You’ve got this, Yoonmin. We trained hard. You’re tougher than you know. And it’s not over till it’s over, right?” Yoonmin smiled, feeling her confidence return. The race director explained the five-mile course through the forest trails. He would be at checkpoints along the way to mark miles completed. Then he shouted, “Go!” and blew an air horn to start the race.

The herd of runners surged forward and took off down the trail. Yoonmin started at a conservative pace, not wanting to burn out too early. She found her rhythm and clicked off the miles, passing panting runners one by one. Maybe she could even snag a top 10 spot!

Within the first mile, she passed several kids who were already walking. Saku stayed right with her, cheering her on. As the course got hillier and more difficult, some runners fell back. But Yoonmin kept a steady jog, taking walk breaks only on the steepest climbs. By the second checkpoint, she was in 10th place.

Then disaster struck. As she was running down a root-filled part of the trail, Yoonmin’s foot snagged between two roots, sending her sprawling. White-hot agony seared her ankle as it twisted. Tears stung her eyes. It’s over, she thought bitterly.

Yoonmin falls and hurts herself during the race

Just then, Saku caught up to her. “Oh no! Yoonmin, how bad is it?โ€ she cried. Yoonmin shook her head, fighting back tears. “My ankle…I think it’s sprained. It really hurts.” Saku took a look. โ€œI will wrap it tight. You will have extra support that will ease the pain.โ€ Yoonmin gingerly stood up and tested her ankle. It still throbbed. “I didn’t come this far to quit now. It’s not over till I cross that finish line.โ€ And with that, Yoonmin hobbled down the trail with Saku at her side. They passed a few more kids along the way who had stopped to rest or had minor injuries of their own.

By the third checkpoint, Yoonmin was in 12th place out of 25 remaining runners. Her ankle was really aching, but she pushed on through the pain. She thought about all her hard training and how badly she wanted to finish. As they neared the end of the course, Yoonmin started passing more tired kids. With only a mile left, she was in 9th place. Now, she could see the leaders just ahead. But her ankle felt like it was on fire. Every step was agonizing.

Yoonmin was ready to give in to the pain when she and Saku emerged from the wooded trail into a clearing. Yoonmin chanted to herself, โ€œKeep moving, keep moving – itโ€™s not over yet!โ€ There ahead was the finish line! Spectators were cheering as the top runners sprinted their final strides. With a surge of adrenaline, Yoonmin ignored her ankle and poured on the speed. She passed two more kids in the final hundred yards. As she crossed the finish line, she collapsed to the ground in relief and pain.

Saku helped her to a chair so she could elevate her ankle. A few minutes later, the race organizers announced the results. To Yoonmin’s shock, she had finished 7th place overall! Then they called her name – she had also won a special award for ‘Most Determined Runner’ based on her determination to finish despite injury. Yoonmin smiled proudly as Saku cheered and applauded her friend. She knew all her hard work and refusal to quit had paid off. From that day on, whenever things got tough, Yoonmin would remember the words, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Her victory showed that great things can happen if you persevere to the end.

Yoonmin and Saku at the end of the race in our story of bravery

As Yoonmin collected her awards, feeling thrilled but exhausted, she thought about the words of wisdom from the great baseball legend Yogi Berra: “It ain’t over till it’s over!โ€ Yogi’s philosophy is a great reminder that determination helps dreams come true.

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