WEST JORDAN — Mack Bawden wants his best friend, Cameron Judd, to experience everything he does — dances, dates and even the pain of getting up early to train for the Copper Hills cross-country team.
The problem is that Judd couldn't do any of those things without help.
The 17-year-old West Jordan boy has cerebral palsy and, were it not for the help of his friends, he'd likely be stuck on the sidelines.
But sometimes, the kindness of a single person changes everything.
When Cameron was just 4 years old, Mack, who happened to be the same age, moved into his neighborhood.
"Mack was very curious about Cameron," said his mom, Peggy Bawden. "It's just how kids are. He said, 'Does anybody play with him?' And I said, 'I don't know, but we can ask.' "
So Peggy Bawden approached Cameron's mom, Denise Judd, and set up their first play date. It wasn't until first grade that the two became inseparable.
"Mack has always just really been there for Cam," said Denise Judd. "He's always included him as much as he can. (Mack) has just become a member of our family."
The senior class president at Copper Hills, Mack has participated in cross-country and track since his freshman year. Last winter, he heard about Dick and Rick Hoyt (www.teamhoyt.com). Dick Hoyt pushes, pulls and carries his son, Rick, who has cerebral palsy, in marathons and Ironman races.
"It was us," Mack said. "I said to Cam, 'We're going to do this.' And he said OK."
So the two boys talked to their coach, Garth Rushforth, who gave them the green light. The Judds ordered a special chair for Cameron that looks something like a jogging stroller.
Their first meet was a memorable one.
Mack was rounding the final turn of the track when he decided to push down on the brand-new, three-wheel chair that cradled Judd.
His weight on the back two wheels popped the front tire into the air and slammed the handle to the track. Mack went head-first over the chair.
Scraped and bleeding, he checked on Cameron, who was fine, and then pulled the slightly damaged chair upright.
"Then the front wheel fell off," said Denise Judd. "Mack unfastened Cameron, picked him up and carried him across the finish line. Everyone stood up and was cheering."
When asked about it, Mack just smiles and shrugs.
Peggy Bawden said it is indicative of how her son views running track and cross country now that Cameron is his teammate.
"He said, 'I'm not doing it for me. I'm doing it for Cam,' " she said. "When they did the 4-by-400 relay, instead of passing the baton, they passed Cameron. They wanted Cameron to have that experience."
The boys got up at 6 a.m. all summer to train for the cross-country season.
The novelty of getting up early to run with the team quickly wore off.
"He's grumpy and he'll complain," said Mack. "We got in a fight once, and I was like, 'I'm doing this for you and you're complaining about it.' Exercising kind of sucks, but it's worth it when it's over."
At a race in Herriman recently, Mack and Logan Anderson took turns pushing Cameron in the 5K race. As they made their way around the grassy course, Cameron beamed and waved at the crowd cheering for them.
After they finished, they immediately began discussing homecoming and whether Cameron had coordinated his tie color with his date's dress.
"We'd better do that," Mack said to Cameron amid congratulations on the race.
"Do you need a drink of water?" he asked.
Cameron smiled at him. Mack got his water bottle and squirted some into Cameron's mouth.
Much of their communication is exclusive to them. They've spent so much time together that sometimes Mack knows what Cameron wants when no one else does.
After everyone else had cleared out, Mack carried Cameron to the specially designed "Cam van," all the while discussing with him their plans to take their dates to a place where they could jump on trampolines.
Mack admits there are races he would sometimes like to tackle on his own. But ultimately, the joy of running with Cameron supplants any desire for an individual accomplishment.
"In the long run, it's more fun to run with Cam," he said. "We talk about (the races). ... We like it more than track. It's hard some days; you still push through it. He likes the races. They're a lot of fun."
When Mack can't go to practice, other runners on the team offer to pick Cameron up and bring him, and there is never a shortage of boys willing to push him in races.
"It's a very rare thing," said coach Rushforth. "They have little goals they set for themselves because they don't score."
Rushforth has other disabled students he tries to include in track as well. But nothing like what Mack and Cameron are doing.
"This is a whole new thing for us," Rushford said. "We cannot go to a single place without people stopping to tell us how great it is."
Rushforth said it isn't just that Mack shows up at races with Cameron that makes the effort commendable.
"He goes and gets him every morning, all summer, so he gets the full experience," said the coach.
The thing about Cam and Mack is that sports is just one more thing they share.
"We do tons of stuff together," said Mack. "We've done every dance together. High school has just been great."
Denise Judd and Peggy Bawden aren't sure why the boys share such a bond.
"It's not easy to take Cameron and take care of everything he needs," said Denise Judd. "Mack has just been an amazing friend to Cameron. Why he was motivated to do what he's done, I don't know."
Mack's mom said her son doesn't hide his affection for Cameron, and the two spend nearly all their free time together.
"It's a lot of work," she said. "He hangs out with Cameron every weekend. He'll go get him in the Judds' van. I said to him, 'Isn't that a pain?' But it doesn't bother him. He told me about a month ago, 'Cameron is my brother from another mother.' "
Mack acknowledges the extra time involved in taking Cameron on all of his teenage adventures.
"I spent half my life waiting on that kid," laughs Mack. "It takes us an extra 20-25 minutes to do anything."
Still, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"We do tons of stuff together," said Mack. "We go to Lagoon, we go to the temple. Just all the fun stuff you wouldn't expect him to be able to do, but we do it anyway."
Denise Judd said the friendships Cameron has developed with Mack and the other boys in the neighborhood and school have helped him have a normal teenage experience.
"There is nothing wrong with his mental capacity," she said. "He wants his independence. It's been hard for me. ... But this gives him independence and allows him to be like any other teenager. That's important to him. That's important to us."
Bowling, movies, dances — you name it — Cameron and his friends do it.
"A lot of times, Cameron is the instigator," Denise Judd said.
Mack says that's true. He'll get texts asking him what they're doing each weekend.
"Everyone tells me how good I am, but I love Cam," Mack said. "I think he's so funny. You wouldn't expect him to think and say the things he does."
Mack said their friendship is "lifelong."
"I'll probably live close to his family," he said. "I'll probably end up running marathons with him."
e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com