92-Year-Old Meets Girl He Risked His Life to Save

Two years ago—at age 90—John Shear positioned himself between a charging horse and a 5-year-old girl about to get trampled. The girl emerged unhurt, and Shear survived as well, though he was in the hospital for weeks. Now back to his 30-pushups-a-day self, Shear finally got a chance to meet the girl he saved after driving to watch now 8-year-old Roxy Key dance ballet, reports ABC News.

Recounting that day two years ago at California's Santa Anita track, where he has worked as a paddock guard for more than 50 years, Shear says: "I thought there was a possibility I was going to die, but you cannot stop and think should I or shouldn’t I. There is a 5-year-old girl. I’m 90 years old." Says Roxy's dad of that day: "She would be dead. It would have crushed her." (More uplifting news stories.)