A London-based Filipino nurse praised his colleague for helping out a fellow participant amid a running race that allows participants to enjoy the city’s iconic landmarks.
Eric Von Parreño Fredeluces, a critical care nurse at Cleveland Clinic London, shared the story behind the photo which featured a Filipina helping a runner who appeared to be on the verge of collapsing.
He credited the photo to the ASICS London 10k Run, a running event in which participants dash through famous London spots like the Big Ben, the London Eye and the River Thames.
Meanwhile, London has been suffering from a heatwave amid its summer season. It is a result of hot air flowing to the United Kingdom from continental Europe.
The temperature in Wales and across England was reportedly predicted to soar in the mid-30 degrees Celsius and above.
Organizers of the race have previously advised participants to “hydrate well in the next 24 hours” and to bring their sunscreens amid the summer heat.
They also said they have “increased the amount of water at aid stations” in which runners can refill their tumblers and containers.
“A young Filipina nurse has dropped everything in the recently held Asics London 10K Run just to help a runner who was about to pass out,” Fredeluces wrote on a Facebook post.
“Harrieth Kay Amores, an ICU Nurse from Cleveland Clinic London, bearing the Philippine Flag on her running shirt, has gone (the) extra mile (a) few meters away from the finish line just to lend a hand and saving a fellow runner from exhaustion due to scourging heat and fatigue,” he added.
“Amores claimed she was aiming to beat her previous 10K record of 1 hour and 3 minutes, so she anticipated to be faster this time. Apparently, her ‘caregiver calling’ was too loud to ignore as she dropped everything, risking not to achieve her goal, just to be of help to the lady in need,” Fredeluces continued.
He narrated that Harrieth Kay Amores helped her fellow runner “until they stepped onto the glory of the finish line.”
Fredeluces said that the Filipina still beat her previous time record by achieving a 59-minute run despite the incident.
“Naririnig ko mga cheers ng mga kapwa ko Pinoy saying, ‘Go ate, kaya mo ‘yan.’ Nakakaproud lang,” he quoted Amores as saying.
According to Fredeluces, Amores is now preparing to hike Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.
“Way to go Harrieth, the Filipinos are proud of you!” Fredeluces wrote.