McNeese middle distance runner Matt Harding's inspiring story is one of many about McNeese student-athletes, coaches and staff overcoming adversity over the past six months.
 
But Harding's story adds something more. It's one of sadness, motivation, encouragement and elation.
 
Harding won the gold medal in the 800-meters on Monday on the final day of the 2021 Southland Conference Indoor Championships. His stepping on the championship podium was the climax of an emotional last few days.
 
His father passed away on Thursday.
 
Two days prior, the Welsh native was back home visiting his dad who was losing a 22-year battle with brain cancer. That evening in his home in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, Harding returned from a run and sat on the end of his father's hospital bed that was set up in the family's dining room to have a talk.
 
"He told me, 'Nothing has ever made me prouder than being able to watch you run'," said Harding as he was on the team bus Monday, heading home from Birmingham, Alabama, the site of the league indoor championships. "He wanted me to come back here to run in this meet. I knew it was something I had to do."
 
Two days later on Thursday, Harding's father fell into a coma as a result of a brain hemorrhage and later passed away.
 
"I think he got tired of fighting," said Harding. "He put up one hell of a fight for so many years."
 
Harding granted his dad's wishes for him to run in the conference meet and hopped a plane on Friday, meeting the Cowboys and Cowgirls in Alabama.
 
Rewinding two weeks, Harding returned home on Feb. 14 to be with his dad. Due to his native country's COVID travel restrictions, he had to quarantine 14 days. Due to that, he was unable to leave his house to run and train for the league meet. Instead, he ran on his family's treadmill, but he did hint that he may have broken the COVID rules a couple of times to run outside.

"I knew I wasn't in the shape I should be in to compete," he said. "With everything we've all been through with the pandemic and two hurricanes, we haven't had anywhere to train because of all of the damage."
 
Fast forward to Sunday afternoon and the preliminary round of the 800-meters. Harding clocked a personal best time of 1:52.96 to place third overall in the prelims to advance to Monday's finals.
 
Before he took the starting line in Monday's finals, he bowed his head for prayer.
 
"I pray before every race," he said. "But instead of talking to God today, I talked to dad. I told him this race was for him, that I was dedicating it to him."
 
No summer or fall training due to the hurricanes. No weight room. No indoor track to practice on. It wasn't needed after all. He had dad.
 
"I know it's cliché, but coming down that back stretch I asked my dad to give me the strength. I could hear him telling me to stay strong and keep my shoulders down."
 
The result was a gold medal win with the second-fastest 800-meters in school history and just .28 seconds off the record with a time of 1:50.69, nearly one second faster than the second place runner.
 
"There were a lot of emotions when crossing the finish line," he said. "I've won championships before but this on will always mean a lot more to me.
 
"I grabbed the Welsh flag and wrapped it around me and I could feel him (dad) with me. He didn't get to see me physically but I know he was up in Heaven watching. He'll have a front row seat to all of my races from now on."