Luciana Grandi Lourenção was seconds away from one of the biggest triumphs of her life. The personal trainer was mere steps from claiming the top spot on the podium at the Presidente Prudente Half Marathon in Brazil.
But before she could reach the finish line, her husband showed up on the sidelines and pushed their two daughters into her path, nearly ruining her big moment.
However, instead of stopping, she deliberately sidestepped her kids and ran.
She WON. And now? She’s winning the hearts and praise of millions of people for putting herself first.
Marathon Mom Wins the Race (No Thanks To Her Husband)
In a now-viral TikTok video, Luciana thunders down the hill towards the yellow tape, pumping her fist. She can taste her victory.
And to anyone on the sidelines, it’s obvious this is HER MOMENT. The one she likely spent the past few months (if not years) rigorously training for. This is why it’s so dumbfounding that just as she is about to realize HER DREAM, her husband steps in.
Rather than stand back and watch her claim her well-earned victory, her husband decides now would be the perfect time to thrust their children into her limelight to give their mom a celebratory hug. Before she finishes the race.
Yeah…no.
Despite his singular act of stupidity, Luciana keeps her eye on the prize. She swerves around her kids, somehow miraculously avoiding contact, and crosses the finish line.
While Luciana is celebrating her HUGE win, her husband can be seen in the background, shrugging his shoulders with his arms up as if saying, “What did I do wrong?”
Instead of cheering with her or running up to give her a big hug (NOW would be the time), he appears flabbergasted that she didn’t stop for her children.
In her husband’s defense, Luciana did apparently say that she and her husband had pre-planned that their daughters would finish the marathon with her (according to some commenters). However, when she realized she was only a few seconds ahead of the next competitor, she decided to put herself first. Rightfully so.
Luciana won the race by only 20 seconds. Had she stopped for her children, she very likely could have lost.
Reaction to the Viral Video
Thankfully, despite her husband’s extreme lack of good judgement, Luciana was able to savor her win, celebrating it with a man who was just as excited about it as she was — her trainer who can be seen hugging her and smiling in the video (and giving her husband some serious side-eye as he ran past.)
Since being posted earlier this month, the video has garnered over 13 million views and amassed more than 30,000 comments.
People had a lot to say and not necessarily about Luciana’s win. What really got people talking was her husband and the fact that he literally could not wait a few seconds and let her have her glory.
“The fact that he is confused is wild!!” wrote one person.
“She worked so hard why would he slow her down when she was on the way to winning,” said another.
“How did that make sense to him?” another asked. “She’s about to finish, someone’s behind her, she’s being timed…wait like 30 more seconds..wasn’t that obvious?”
“Before the finish line is CRAZY,” said someone else. They’re definitely not wrong.
“Just. Let. Her. Have. Her. Own. Moment. Also, a bear wouldn’t do this,” another quipped.
People, specifically women, overwhelmingly stood with Luciana and her choice to keep going.
“I’m glad she chose herself 🥇”
“The way she swerved the family was incredible. She was on a mission!!!”
“As she should!!! What a huge accomplishment for her. For ONCE can we NOT interrupt a mom and let her have her darn deserved MOMENT!”
“This is a reallllly good example of the subtle way that some husbands treat their wives serious commitments outside of family life, like a joke or not serious, or just ‘for fun.”
“And this is what women mean when they say they’re a human being NOT JUST A MOM!!! Her time to shine! Good job!”
Look, the reality is that we don’t know why her husband chose to do what he did. Maybe he really was just clueless. Regardless, it does shed light on an important issue.
The Importance of Prioritizing Yourself
Yes, Luciana is a mother and a wife but despite what *some* NFL players may think, her life didn’t start when she became a mother.
She is a person. And she is allowed to have her own dreams, her own triumphs, her own wins (and losses).
One of the hardest parts of motherhood is leaving it behind, even for just a few moments. It becomes an integral part of our identity. But it shouldn’t be all-consuming. As one commenter so aptly put it, “WE’RE MORE THAN MOTHERS.”
And it’s important for our kids to see it. To bear witness to the fact that not everything revolves around them. To teach them that it’s okay to strap on your running shoes first, before theirs.
And while Luciana won the race that day, her daughters won something even greater; the knowledge that their mother is a strong, powerful woman, capable of accomplishing great things — on her own. And she refuses to be reduced to one singular role.
Luciana did end up sharing her win with her daughters — when the time was right for her. She posted a picture of the two of them on the podium with her on Instagram.
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