When 8-year-old Noah Aldrich decided he wanted to compete in a kids triathlon he instantly asked if he could do it with his 6-year-old brother.
There was only problem—6-year-old Lucas Aldrich was born with a rare brain condition that has left him unable to walk.
That didn’t stop Noah from bringing his brother, and best friend, along on the journey.
“He said ‘Mom, I want to do this with my brother,’” Noah’s mother Alissa Aldrich told NBC's KTVB in Boise, Idaho. “That’s where the idea was born and I think the next day we started training.”
Noah’s parents said the two brothers from Boise, Idaho have shared a special bond since the day Lucas was born.
“They definitely have a special bond, the two of them,” said Alissa Aldrich. “You see Lucas light up so much when Noah enters the room.”
Lucas was born with a rare condition called Lissencephaly. Family members were told he’d be non-verbal, wheelchair bound, unable to eat and that he would have a shortened lifespan.
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The family says Lucas is doing better than they ever expected and Noah can’t say enough about his love for his younger brother.
“I like everything about him,” he said. “He’s perfect.”
When the Aldrich family heard about the YMCA Kids Club program, and a kids triathlon, the family quickly became involved, supporting Noah and his brotherly love.
Running, biking and swimming together, the two young brothers prepared for their impressive feat.
“He’s just going to be happy that he did the race,” Noah said.
When the big day came, Team Lucas House was ready to roll.
“They will start with a 200-meter swim,” said Alissa Aldrich.
And swim Noah did, as hard as he could, with his brother in tow in a raft behind him.
Noah then biked with his brother for three miles and ran for another mile pushing Lucas in front of him.
“We’re very proud,” said Alissa Aldrich at the finish line. “It was really exciting to watch them and a little nerve-wrecking as parents, but they did so good and we’re proud of them.”
The family hopes to continue to create a legacy for Lucas, starting with a non-profit they developed called Lucas House.
