Rachel grew up with her grandma since childhood, she was told her father left her before she was born and had died due to excessive intake of drugs while her mum during childbirth. She was 15, dark in complexion, and suffered from asthma. Despite her condition, she loved the cross country, she had failed in the past but this did not lessen her love for cross-country racing. Though she lacked nothing, she still couldn't refrain from stealing few things she didn't need. "Return them to the owners" her grandma always quarrels whenever she notices new items she did not buy.
Mr. John, a Christian and basketball coach had no choice after his team crumbled than to take the job offered to him to find a team and trained them through the championship forthcoming, it was on this occasion he met Rachel who became the only interested student. He was an optimistic man and never wanted to discourage her when he realized she suffers from asthma and needs an inhaler during the racing.
"Are you sure you can do this?" he asked
"Yes Sir" she replied
The training started a few days later and Mr. John never failed to encourage her whenever she felt she wasn't doing better.
A few days later, Mr. John encountered a blind Young man in his 50's who was suffering from diabetes which was the underlying cause of his blindness. Mr. John spent few minutes talking to the young man and realized he was once an athlete before he got into drugs which affected his life.
"Who are you," he asked
"Mr. John, a basketball coach but now training a girl on an athlete, I'm a Christian.
"My name is Anderson Greg," he said, then paused, his face became dull, a feeling of regret encompass him. "I was an athlete, I engaged into drugs and had turned my life upside down but before then I had a woman I love, she was pregnant for me, I ran away afraid of what will become of me, I learned she died while on labor but gave birth to a baby girl, she should be 15 now"
Photo reference
Mr. John recalled the conversation they had with Rachel, it matches the description given by Greg, and he recalled Greg was the name of her supposed dead Dad. On another visit, Mr. John started a conversation with Greg. "Remember I told you I train a girl"
"Yes," he replied.
" Her name is Rachel, she's 15 and lives with her grandma. Her dad's name is Greg whom her grandma told her died while doing drugs and her mum during labor".
" Are you saying she's probably my daughter?" Greg asked.
" She's your daughter but I will only bring her to see you if she wants to, I wouldn't force her".
Greg held john's hands in gratitude, he longed to reconnect with his daughter and make amend. His daughter must have picked interest to become an athlete after him.
"Lord, grant me the grace to do something for my daughter before I die" he prayed on the sickbed.
Mr. John talked to Rachel and after days of careful thinking, she finally met with him. "Please Mr. John, will you allow me to speak to my dad alone"? She demanded before they entered the room.
" Sure" I will give you time to talk.
The first meeting wasn't pleasant, Rachel couldn't alter a word. On the second visit, Rachel enquired why he left her mum. Mr. Greg told her all his story and how he was now changed since the moment he encountered God. "Do you know God"? He asked her.
"Not really"
" There's a man who will never forsake you, I had met with him while on this sick bed, if you give him a chance, you will have someone who can never forsake you"
He led her to Christ and she learned she can be all she wanted to be in him only if she believed. As she grew to know him more, she realized she needed to stop stealing, it was one of the things God hates. To this, she made restitution and returned every item she had taken from everyone.
Rachel's grandma realized she had come to know about her father. In anger, she confronted Mr. John and later visited the hospital Greg was admitted to warning him of the daughter.
It was near to the championship final, Greg desired restitution for the years he had neglected his daughter, it was at this moment when he had encountered his daughter that he realized God was giving him a second chance to make amends. Before the finals, the council had agreed that racers could wear devices through which a coach can motivate them while on the distant race. Greg pleaded with Mr. John to coach Rachel through this.
"Hey Rachel is your Dad, I will coach you through this race, remember I was an athlete and that's my blood in you, this means we would take the win" Mr. Greg spoke through the earpiece shortly after the race began. It left a smile on her face. He coached her through, every meter and what she needed to do and she emerged the winner beating the second runner just a step ahead.
Her victory brought reconciliation to the family and he died a few months later with several records kept for what he wanted her to do after each birthday. Rachel through her dad's motivation and tapes became a racer with the top record.