Sean Astin has had an illustrious career as an actor, performing in such memorable films as The Goonies, Rudy and The Lord of the Rings. In 2012, he took on the role of Raphael in Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, instantly giving the project some serious street cred. Since then, Astin has settled into the role quite well, and fans have become quite fond of his take on the character.
In addition to his work as a filmmaker and actor, he has also spent a lot of time inspiring young people around the world as he prepares for the Ironman World Championship Triathlon. After he was invited to the event earlier this year, the actor decided to use the golden opportunity to inspire others with his #Run3rd movement. What does “Run3rd” mean? Well, I’ll just let Sean Astin himself explain that:
“I run 1st for myself, I run 2nd for my family, and I #Run3rd for you.”
At a recent #Run3rd event, Astin had a truly heartwarming experience with a young boy who reminded him exactly why he wants to go the extra mile. Kaleb was quite fast, finishing the first mile of the 5K in under 8 minutes. Unfortunately, he had pushed himself a bit too hard and he began to panic when his body reacted poorly to the extra stress.
When Sean saw him running back where he had come from, he stopped Kaleb and asked him what was wrong. Kaleb explained “my heart feels like it’s going to explode.” Having experience with this himself, and having pushed himself a little too hard as well, Astin knew what he had to do. He immediately stopped everything to make sure that Kaleb made it through this safely.
Kaleb and Sean finished the last leg of the race together, running in intervals of 30 seconds to avoid any problems. As they ran, Sean talked with his little running partner in order to keep their spirits up. Their conversation spanned topics such as robots and hoverboards until they were within reach of the finish line. When that finish line was in sight, both of them made a run for it.
In the end, it doesn’t matter who won; the important thing is that they both finished the race together, safe and sound. At the end of the 5K, Sean gave Kaleb a hug before he ran to his father. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what true sportsmanship looks like. While the character he portrays in Nick’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may have issues with sharing glory, it’s clear that Astin doesn’t have that problem. Perhaps he can teach a thing or two to Raphael!
The Ironman World Championship Triathlon will take place in Kona, Hawaii on October 10th. If you want to support future #Run3rd events, you can do so through their GoFundMe campaign. You can also register for the next #Run3rd 5K race in 2016 if you think you’re up for the challenge. Either way, I think it’s safe to say that we’ve got a pretty great guy providing the voice of everyone’s favorite cool but rude ninja turtle, Raphael!