* The Oklahoman followed Freeman's journey during his last race as a high school runner
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When Caleb Freeman finished his first race in nearly two years on Tuesday at the Carl Albert Titan Cross Country Invitational in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, it marked a special moment for the high school senior from Newcastle High School.
A devastating car accident in December of 2017 left Freeman, once the No. 1 runner on his team, paralyzed and in a coma for months.
Then a fateful decision by his family led to something more, according to a story last year by Oklahoma-based news station, KFOR. His family moved Caleb to Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado.
Three months after the accident, Freeman woke up and started to communicate, first in writing and then verbally.
Then a year after the wreck, he enrolled back at Newcastle using a walker, his mobility severely limited. This fall, he rejoined the cross country team as an assistant coach.
And on Tuesday, with his potential last race with the Newcastle team in front of him -- with Freeman finally building the strength to be on his feet on his own -- he decided to make one last decision, per another report by KFOR.
The 18-year-old stepped to the starting line with his jersey on. He battled through 5,000 meters.
The winner of his race finished in just over 17 minutes. Freeman finished his first mile in around that time.
Others reportedly doubled back to cheer him on, chanting "Go Caleb, Go Caleb, Go Caleb."
Freeman fought through mile two, then again through the last mile-plus, only he was doing much of it alongside nearly a hundred cheering teammates and competitors.
The finish wasn't what mattered, even though Freeman did just that.
In his final race in a high school uniform, the boy who vowed never to quit never did.
And better yet, he was named Homecoming King just a few days after the race, per KFOR's latest story.