A grizzly bear attack near Cody, Wyoming last week is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite “good teammate move” stories.
Brady Lowry and Kendell Cummings, sophomore teammates on the Northwest College wrestling team, were shed (antler) hunting in the Shoshone National Forest Saturday afternoon with a few other members of their team.
The pair were several miles from the trailhead entrance when a grizzly bear lunged from the brush, pinning Lowry to the ground. Lowry put up his arm to protect himself, but the bear’s bite broke his arm. To try and free his teammate, Cummings jumped on the grizzly’s back.
In case you happened to gloss over that last sentence, I’ll repeat it for clarity and emphasis: CUMMINGS JUMPED ON THE GRIZZLY’S BACK!
“I had to get (the bear) off (Lowry). I had to do something. I couldn’t watch my friend get torn up right in front of me,” Cummings told KTVQ News.
Cummings proceeded to grab a fistful of the bear’s fur and pull until the bear released Lowry.
The National Wildlife Federation describes the typical adult grizzly bear as weighing upwards of 700 pounds. I don’t know exactly how much the bear Cummings jumped on weighed, but I do know that the Northwest Athletics website lists Cummings as wrestling at 141 pounds.
I am struggling to imagine a more courageous act of selfless bravery. Good. Teammate. Move.
Sometimes, members of our team are being attacked by metaphorical grizzlies—behemoths taking the form of unkind words, unfair criticism, or unjust treatment. These occasions are when our teammates need us the most.
Are you courageous enough to jump on the back of a metaphorical grizzly attacking your teammate? Or are you immobilized by the fear of potential backlash or retaliation?
Cummings’ actions were completely rooted in The WE Gear. He wasn’t deterred by what could happen to him if he acted. He was consumed with doing what was best for his team in that moment—coming to his teammate’s aid.
For the record, Cummings was subjected to retaliation. His actions caused him to actually suffer the worst of the incident. After he got the grizzly off Lowry, the bear turned and attacked him.
A group of college wrestlers from Wyoming faced their toughest opponent yet over the weekend.
Kendell Cummings and Brady Lowry were mauled by a grizzly bear Saturday while antler hunting. https://t.co/gYPYQLStvb
— CNN (@CNN) October 20, 2022
Lowry and Cummings are expected to make a full recovery.
The beauty of courageous good teammate moves is that they often beget more courageousness. They empower others to get involved.
There’s an old comedic (Me Gear) adage about escaping bear attacks: You don’t have to run faster than the bear to get away. You just have to run faster than the guy next to you. I suspect Lowry and the rest of the Northwest College wrestling team are thankful Cummings chose not to embrace this selfish advice.
As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
