Des Linden Inspires Family By Giving Young Fan Her Boston Marathon Bib
PEMBROKE (CBS) - Desmond Kyle, or Des for short, is always on the move. Even so his hero might be considered unusual for a three-year old.
In a home video, Jennifer Kyle asks her son "Who's that on TV?" while watching the Boston Marathon. He responds, "Me."
Marathon Monday, Jennifer Kyle found her son connecting with an athlete sporting a similar nickname, Desiree, Des, Linden.
"I made him the bib because he wanted a runner's outfit on. And, he wanted a name tag, because he was calling it a name tag, so just wrote Des on a Post-it note," said Kyle.
Little Des' grandfather had been visiting and was at Logan Airport after the Boston Marathon when he happened to run into Des Linden. A few days later, something very special arrived in the mail.
Jennifer took video of Des squealing in delight. In the video, he is holding Linden's 2019 Boston Marathon bib.
Jennifer explains her father's meeting with the champion runner whom he also shared with the video of little Des. "He handed her a note card and asked for an autograph for her grandson. And, she reached in her bag and pulled out her bib, and signed it, and gave it to my dad to pass along. That's just unbelievable for her to give that to us."
Despite her attempts to frame the bib, her son insists on wearing it. After all, it is personalized.
"I hope that it inspires him to follow a passion," said Kyle.
The Kyles are not runners. Jennifer turned on the marathon coverage hoping to inspire her son.
Thanks to Linden's message on the bib, little Des will always know no matter what, "keep showing up."
