Ivan Fernandez: Selfless soul who ensured Abel Mutai's victory.

Ivan Fernandez: Selfless soul who ensured Abel Mutai's victory.

The day, December 2, 2012 witnessed, one of the most significant events in the realm of sports.

Abel Mutai, an athlete runner from Kenya competiting in the cross-country race in Burlada, Navarre, was in close proximity to the finish line. However, due to confusion with the signage, he mistakenly ceased running, believing that he had already finished the race.

Ivan Fernandez, a Spanish athlete, was positioned closely behind Mutai. Upon realising the situation, Fernandez attempted to encourage Mutai to continue running by shouting at him. However, Mutai was unable to comprehend Fernandez's Spanish language.

Fernandez ultimately caught up to the individual and, rather than overtaking him, provided a physical push that propelled him to the finish line in first place.

A journalist asked Ivan, "Why did you do that?" Ivan replied, “My dream is that someday we can have a kind of community life where we push and help each other to win.”

The journalist insisted “But why did you let the Kenyan win?" Ivan replied, "I didn't let him win, he was going to win.”

The journalist insisted again, “But you could have won!” Ivan looked at him & replied, “But what would be the merit of my victory? What would be the honor of that medal? What would my Mom think of that?”

Ivan Fernandez was trained by veteran Spanish distance runner Martn Fiz in Vitoria in the same location, the Prado Park, where he logged many miles in preparation to win the European marathon in 1994 and the world marathon in 1995.

"It was a very good gesture of honesty," says Fiz. "A gesture of the kind that isn't made any more. Or rather, of the kind that has never been made. A gesture that I myself wouldn't have made. I certainly would have taken advantage of it to win." I wouldn´t have done it. I would have taken advantage of the mistake to win"

Fiz says his pupil's action does him credit in human if not athletic terms. "The gesture has made him a better person but not a better athlete. He has wasted an occasion. Winning always makes you more of an athlete. You have to go out to win."

Ivan Fernandez clarified that, the cross country race at Burlada, had nothing at stake aside being named as having beaten an Olympic medalist. And he would have gone for the kill, if it was a world or European medal at stake.

"In the Burlada cross-country race there was hardly anything at stake [...] apart from being able to say that you had beaten an Olympic medalist," says Ivan Fernandez.

"But even if they had told me that winning would have earned me a place in the Spanish team for the European championships, I wouldn't have done it either. Of course it would be another thing if there was a world or European medal at stake.

“Then, I think that, yes, I would have exploited it to win... But I also think that I have earned more of a name having done what I did than if I had won.

In the end, Ivan Fernandez admitted that, being honest doesn’t hurt which is good for humanity and makes the society a better place.

“And that is very important, because today, with the way things are in all circles, in soccer, in society, in politics, where it seems anything goes, a gesture of honesty goes down well."

Values are transmitted from generation to generation. What values are we teaching our children? Let us not teach our kids the wrong ways to WIN.

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