Finding Gobi: The true story of one little dog’s big journey
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And it was. Before, Dion had kept his arms out for balance. Now one of them was clutching Gobi instead. That meant he only had one arm free. He had to go even more slowly and more carefully than before. And he still slipped a few times, though never enough to go completely underwater.
Through it all, Gobi was amazingly good. She didn’t struggle at all. She didn’t bark. She didn’t whimper. She just snuggled up against his chest and watched as they slowly inched their way across the river.
Once they’d reached the other side, Dion set her down. She quickly circled him, barking and wagging her tail. Then she nipped at his shoes.
“Yeah, yeah, we’re going,” he agreed. He was tired from the river crossing, but he knew he couldn’t stop now. Especially not with Tommy already so far ahead.
Remembering what Tommy had done earlier was enough to make Dion mad all over again. But this time, instead of frustrating him, that anger gave him strength.
“Let’s go,” he told Gobi. “Let’s see what we can do to cut down his lead.”
She barked once, and when he set off she settled in beside him, matching his pace perfectly. Dion shook his head. He didn’t know where she’d come from, but this little dog sure could run!
The day was winding down, and Dion guessed that the finish line would be visible from the top of the next hill. He and Gobi had kept up a steady pace since the river, and he was pleased with their progress. Once or twice he’d caught a few glimpses of two other runners up ahead. That had to be Tommy and Julien, because no one else had passed him. But the path had twisted enough that Dion hadn’t been able to tell how far ahead they were.
Now, as he reached the top of the hill, he looked – and stared. What? he thought. There, past a series of small hills, was the finish line, and the tents beyond it. And there were Tommy and Julien, still only halfway there! How was that even possible? Dion had been sure the other two would have finished already.
But they hadn’t. In fact, they seemed to be walking. They must have used up too much energy getting across the river.
Which gave him an idea.
“Come on, Gobi,” he told her. He hurried down the hill, then raced up the next one. But he slowed just before he reached the top and moved as carefully and quietly as he could. He was tall and thin and dressed all in yellow – if Tommy and Julien looked back, they’d definitely see him. So he sprinted when he was out of sight, and moved quietly when he was visible at the top. And the other two runners didn’t look back.
The distance between them started to shrink. Dion ran down each hill and back up as fast as he could, then moved quietly across the top. Gobi somehow understood his intent, because she didn’t bark or yip at all. She was as silent as a ghost, though her tail wagged furiously. It was clear she thought this was the best game ever. Together they ran, and Tommy and Julien got closer and closer. But so did the finish line.
Finally, Dion crested the last hill. He was no more than a few hundred feet behind the other two. This time he crept down the hill as well, and together he and Gobi snuck up on the two runners, moving as fast as they dared.
Amazingly, Tommy and Julien didn’t look back. Were they that tired? Dion had had a lot of practice running in the heat – he was from Australia originally, so he knew all about hot days. Maybe Tommy and Julien weren’t as comfortable in the high temperatures. Whatever the reason, the gap between them kept shrinking. A hundred feet. Eighty feet. Sixty feet. Forty. Twenty.
Dion’s foot must have scuffed a rock, or maybe it was his shadow suddenly appearing near them, because Julien finally glanced back and saw him. Dion grinned. Too late!
He put on a burst of speed. Gobi barked and sped up to match him. Together they sprinted past Julien. Then past Tommy.
Dion saw Tommy’s eyes widen as they raced by. Tommy struggled to catch up, but staying out in front had worn him out. He just didn’t have enough strength left to match Dion’s sudden surge forward.
Dion charged past. He crossed the finish line first, with Gobi right beside him. The race volunteers all clapped and cheered. “That was amazing,” one of them told him. “You’re having a super race!”
Dion smiled and nodded. It was true. He’d come in third the first day and fourth the second, but today he’d come in first. That put him in really good shape. “I owe a lot of it to my little good luck charm here,” he said, kneeling down to ruffle Gobi’s fur. She barked and licked his face. “Isn’t that right, Gobi?”
When he straightened back up, though, Dion was all business. “Can I come by and talk to you later about what happened before the first checkpoint?” he asked the organiser. “I need to clear my head first.”
“Sure,” she agreed.
The organisers did take Dion seriously this time. It helped that other runners also confirmed what had happened. In the end, they adjusted Tommy’s time by five minutes. Dion thought it should have been more, but at least it was something.
Besides, he had finished first today. That was something too.
Dion wondered if tomorrow Tommy would go for the win from the start of the race to make up for not winning today.
Gobi didn’t seem to mind any of it. She was just happy to eat some of his food, drink some water, and then curl up beside him and go to sleep.
And Dion had to admit, he was getting used to having her there.
Dion had to force himself not to look back. It was for her own good, he kept telling himself. Today was going to be long, and hot. Gobi had done amazingly well so far, but there was no way she’d be able to handle the run today. Especially since there wouldn’t be any shade or any water. It was better for him to go without her. One of the race volunteers had agreed to keep Gobi safe today while Dion ran. She had also promised to bring the little dog to tonight’s campsite with her. But Dion still couldn’t stop hearing the sorrow and desperation in Gobi’s voice as she whined and whimpered and barked at him to return.
An hour later, Dion was still gritting his teeth. Only now it wasn’t because of Gobi. Something else was frustrating him – or someone else.
Everyone had heard about Dion finishing first yesterday, and he’d got a lot of congratulations from the other runners as they’d lined up that morning. Dion was feeling good, strong, and rested, and he took the lead right away. He had long legs, and they ate up the ground despite the heavy wind. But one runner was deliberately not passing Dion.
Tommy.
Running into the wind was hard. It took a lot of effort, and could easily drain even the strongest runner. But if you were running behind someone else, that person would take the wind instead of you. You’d be able to run more easily. It was called drafting and it wasn’t against the rules. The polite thing to do would be for two or more runners to take turns – first one ran in front and the others drafted, then they traded places. That way nobody had to fight the wind the whole way. It was more fair if everyone shared in the effort.
Tommy deliberately stayed right behind Dion. Not ten or even five feet behind either. Dion could practically feel Tommy’s breath on the back of his neck, that was how close they were. When he looked down, their two shadows were merged into a single long blur.
Which meant that Dion was doing all the work, the whole way. And Tommy was relaxing and saving his own energy for later.
All through the day, Dion stayed in the lead. And Tommy was right at his heels.
Then, finally, they reached the last of the day’s checkpoints. Dion was exhausted. And while he paused to drink some water there, that was when Tommy made his move.
Whoosh! It was like someone had strapped a rocket to Tommy’s back. When Dion slowed to a stop at the checkpoint, Tommy zoomed past. Now he was using all that strength he’d saved. And Dion didn’t have the energy to stop him.
Julien and Zeng appeared while Dion was still regathering his strength. They nodded at him but didn’t pause either. Instead they spotted Tommy up ahead and took off after him. It was clear that Julien and Zeng were hoping to catch or even pass Tommy, just like Dion had yesterday. Maybe they could, although Tommy now had a big lead – and fresh legs.
Dion kept running. What else could he do? But he was frustrated all over again. And he was wondering again if coming here had been a huge mistake. He was tired, so tired, and his legs ached and his head was swimming. Why did he want to keep doing this to himself? Maybe he should just quit. There was no way he could win, anyway.
But he kept running. He could barely feel his legs, and he felt like he was swimming through a fog. But he kept going.
Finally the finish line came into sight. Tommy was long gone. So were Julien and Zeng. Another runner had passed Dion as well. But none of that mattered.
Because sitting there patiently by the finish line was a small brown lump. And as soon as Dion got close, the lump sprang up into the air, unfolding as it went. Now suddenly it was a small, fuzzy brown dog, and it was running for Dion, tail up, tongue out.
And, seeing Gobi, Dion smiled for the first time that day.
It was Gobi’s presence, her enthusiasm, and her support that got him across the finish line that night. Without her there, Dion wasn’t sure he’d have made it at all.
Gobi was thrilled to see the man again. He hadn’t forgotten her! And he was smiling at her too. Once he’d finished running he scooped her up, and she covered his face in licks. He laughed, and then the two of them crawled into their tent to eat and drink and rest. Gobi had been well looked after that day, but she had still missed him. He was back now, though, and that was all that mattered.
It was his own fault. Dion made arrangements for Gobi to travel in one of the race cars again. Today was the longest day of the race, covering over fifty miles and cutting right through a section of the Black Gobi Desert. The temperatures were going to be well over 125 degrees. Tough as she was, there was no way the little dog would be able to handle that kind of heat, especially over that distance. This was for her own safety.
But that didn’t stop Dion from missing her.
The starting gun sounded, and they were off. A bunch of runners shoved past, trying to take an early lead. Dion let them. He wasn’t too worried. He was having a great race so far, but it was more than that. He was good at the long distances, and at handling the heat. Not everyone was. They were using up a lot of valuable energy by sprinting now, and they wouldn’t have a chance to rest and recharge later. Today’s race was all about being smart and conserving energy as much as possible.
Fortunately, they didn’t have any wind today, and Tommy was off running his own race and Dion didn’t see him after the start. Though boiling hot, the day was clear, and Dion settled into a nice, easy stride. He wasn’t worried about coming in first. The important thing was to make sure he could cover the full distance. A lot of runners wouldn’t be able to do that. As long as he reached the finish line today, he’d be in good shape.
Time passed. Several times Dion saw runners walking, already exhausted. Many of them stared as he jogged by. He just waved, but not meanly. A few even cheered him on, or clapped for him. He waved at them too. He was covering the distance well, and felt good and strong. He had this.
He also decided it was time to finally use his secret weapon – his iPod. The tiny device could only run for a few hours, so he hadn’t bothered with it before this. But on a day like today, it was the perfect way to distract himself and let his body handle the running. Dion pulled out the iPod, put in his earbuds, and hit Play. The music started, and he could feel his spirits lifting. This was exactly what he needed.
Dion did stop at every checkpoint. It was important to refill your water bottles whenever you could, and it helped to check in with the race crew. They were being especially careful today. It was much too easy for a runner to get heatstroke out here. If that wasn’t caught in time, it could become heat exhaustion, which was dangerous. When someone had heat exhaustion they got foggy. They could no longer make smart choices – including knowing when it was time to get help. People could die from heat exhaustion, so the organisers were making sure every runner was okay.
Dion felt fine, and the checkpoint volunteers quickly allowed him to keep going. But another runner wasn’t having as easy a time.
It was Tommy.
He looked terrible. He was slumped in a chair while several volunteers sprayed him with water or fanned him with a clipboard. But Tommy still looked dazed. He also looked more tired than Dion had ever seen him. The heat had clearly taken its toll on him and he wasn’t looking to leave the tent quickly. Or he was just having a bad day. But Tommy was still one of the people ahead of Dion in the overall race. If he wasn’t running well today, that gave Dion a chance to pull ahead.
Dion was listening to his music but still heard the volunteer ask him if Tommy could run with him. Dion agreed because it was what you did, looking after another fellow runner. Races like this were more about doing your best than about beating someone else. And if you did beat them, you did it fair and square. You didn’t take advantage of someone. And you never turned your back on a fellow runner in need.
Tommy nodded and rose from his seat. He came over to stand by Dion. He still looked wobbly though.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Tommy?” Dion asked.
“Yeah,” Tommy replied. “I’m just struggling. It’s too hot.” His voice was so weak Dion could barely hear him, and he was swaying on his feet. But when Dion started running, Tommy ran with him.
It was even hotter than before. Dion liked that. He enjoyed the heat. He felt good. Only Jax, Brett and Zeng were ahead of him right now, and Dion knew he could catch up with them. This was his chance to take the lead. He picked up his pace.
Tommy kept up, but it was clear he was struggling. Dion felt bad for him, but he didn’t slow down.
They reached a long and sandy straight section with no shade. “Come on, Tommy,” Dion told the other runner. “Let’s run the flags.” The pink markers were set in a line every fifty feet.
Tommy sped up to match Dion as they ran to the first marker. Then they slowed down and walked to the next one. They ran the next, then walked, and kept up that pattern for a while. The ground around them became more sandy and rose to form sand canyons. But the track was still straight and solid.
Dion increased his speed again. He was careful not to overdo it, but he was starting to cut into Zeng’s lead. He noticed that Tommy wasn’t running beside him any more. That was fine though. He must have decided to walk for a bit.
But a part of Dion worried about Tommy. Was he still okay? He slowed down, and finally stopped. Then he looked back.
Tommy was swaying on his feet, flailing his arms to keep his balance. He looked like he was caught in an earthquake.
Dion felt his heart sink. But he didn’t hesitate. He turned and ran back towards Tommy instead.
“Tommy, tell me what’s going on,” he said when he reached the other runner.
“Too hot,” Tommy mumbled back. His words were slurred. He pitched forward suddenly, and Dion just barely caught him in time. This was bad.
Dion checked his watch. They were a little more than a mile into this section. The next checkpoint was another three miles ahead. It was just past one, and the sun was right overhead. The day was only going to get hotter. And the only shade around was provided by some rocks maybe half a mile away.
There was no way Tommy would be able to make it back to the last checkpoint on his own. He could barely stand. He had also already drained both of his water bottles. They had only left the last checkpoint thirty minutes ago!
“I need to sit,” Tommy declared. He slumped down in the sand, right there on the path. “Can you wait?”
“There’s no sitting here, Tommy,” Dion warned him. “You’ve got to get into some shade.” He couldn’t carry Tommy back to the last checkpoint. But he did manage to drag the runner towards the rocks he’d spotted. It took twenty minutes, and Dion was exhausted by the time they reached the shade. Still, he didn’t have a choice. They couldn’t risk waiting for someone else to come along.
“Listen, Tommy,” Dion said once he’d sat him down. “You need help. I’m going to keep going to the next checkpoint and get them to drive back to you, okay?” He knew he could return to the last checkpoint, too, but he just couldn’t bear the thought of going backward.
“I don’t want to run any more,” Tommy mumbled.
Dion nodded. “I know, mate. You don’t have to. Just stay here and wait for them to come. Don’t move.”
Dion had one water bottle left. He handed it to Tommy, then rose to his feet. It was time to go.
Helping Tommy had cost Dion a lot. He’d lost forty-five minutes of his time. He’d also given away the last of his water and hauled Tommy and his gear around in fifty degree heat. That had used up all the energy he’d been saving, and then some.
But Dion couldn’t stop now. If he did, Tommy could die. So could he. He had to make it to the next checkpoint.
Half a mile from the checkpoint, Dion spotted a race car. The organisers used them to patrol the race, in case any runner needed help. He flagged it down and told them what had happened.
“You’ve got to get there quickly,” he warned. “He’s in real trouble. And I’m out of water myself. You haven’t got any, have you?”
The driver handed over a half-empty bottle. They must have handed out all their other water to other runners. It would have to be enough.
Dion made it to the checkpoint and collapsed into a chair. Then he told them about Tommy all over again. He also gulped down as much water as he could. He was feeling weak and queasy. His head hurt and his heart was pounding. But he was still thinking clearly. It was bad, but it wasn’t heat exhaustion.
After he’d recovered a little, Dion thought to ask about Zeng. He was surprised to hear that the Chinese runner was only twenty minutes ahead. He must have been having trouble in the heat too.
Which meant that Dion still had a chance to catch up.
But half a mile past the checkpoint, Dion started feeling funny. It was his chest. It felt tight. He was having trouble breathing. When he took a drink, it felt like the water was boiling inside him. He slowed down more and more. Soon he was barely shuffling along.
This was exactly what he’d been afraid of. He was having heart palpitations.
This had happened to Dion a few times before. It felt like his chest was going to explode. He felt sick, and dizzy. The doctors had said he was drinking too much coffee. But Dion had stopped drinking any coffee at all when he began training for this race. So why was he getting palpitations again now? Was it just the heat and the stress and the exhaustion? Or was there something seriously wrong with him?
Up ahead he saw another race car. Dion staggered towards it. They could help him – but only if he could reach them before he collapsed.
“I need to sit in the car,” Dion replied. “I don’t feel very well.”
That was an understatement. He felt awful! His head was pounding and his chest hurt and his vision was blurry and he felt like he was about to throw up or fall down or both. But he hoped that sitting in the car’s air-conditioning for a few minutes would make him feel better.
It did at first. The cold air felt amazing. Dion just sank down into the seat and closed his eyes. He’d thought he’d never feel cool again!
When he opened his eyes again, he saw the car’s dashboard display. “Does that really say fifty-five degrees?” he asked.
“Yeah,” said the guy behind the wheel. Both he and the other volunteer were watching Dion closely. He knew that if they thought he couldn’t continue, they might force him to quit for the day. He couldn’t let that happen.
“Can I have the water?” Dion asked instead, pointing at a water bottle sitting in the drink holder. The volunteers nodded, and one of them handed him the bottle. It was so cold some of the water was still ice! Dion drank it down and ate one of his energy gels as well. Then he sat back and waited.
But he wasn’t feeling any better. In fact, now that he’d got used to the air-conditioning he realised he was actually feeling worse! His head was spinning and he could barely focus his eyes. The band across his chest was getting tighter and tighter, and each breath was a struggle.
“Come on,” he muttered to himself. He knew that he needed to get back outside. Every second he sat here was a second he lost in the race. But somehow he couldn’t make himself move. And just thinking about going back out into that heat again made his heart pound even faster. Dion discovered he was panting for air. Then he noticed the volunteers watching him in the mirror. He must have looked like he was dying!
For a second, Dion wondered if he was dying. But he refused to believe that. He still had a race to run, and a wife waiting back home, and family and friends – and a small dog he just knew would be sitting there at the finish line, watching for him. He couldn’t let her down.
To distract himself, Dion asked about the only runner ahead of him. “How long ago did Zeng come through?”
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