Faceplanting in Front of Stadium Full of Braves Fans Did Not Ruin This Dad’s Day

It’s not often that face-planting in front of 40,000 people won’t ruin your day, but for one man in the Atlanta area, his faux pas didn’t wipe the smile off his face. It was still one of the best days of his life.

Stephen Moore was just playing catch with his 3-year-old on August 23 at Truist Park where the Braves play, when a representative of the organization spotted him and asked him if he wanted to race against “The Freeze” between innings at the game that night. The long-standing promotional gimmick involves one of the Braves’ grounds crew – a former sprinter at Kennesaw State University – who dresses up in a track suit and goggles that vaguely resembles one of the superheroes in the animated film, The Incredibles.

Moore was more than pumped by the idea. “I mean, that’s a dream, obviously,” he told WSB-TV. When the moment came that evening, Moore was given a head start, just like all of The Freeze’s challengers, and had to beat him in a race from foul pole to foul pole in the outfield.

Not many of The Freeze’s opponents can beat the former sprinter, but Moore was up for the challenge.

But just a few feet from the finish line, with Moore in the lead and about to win, he stumbled and face-planted in front of all the watching fans. He suffered “a bruised ego, and some scraped knees.” The unfortunate Moore’s fall has even become a “gif” you can watch on endless repeat.

“My mind told me to go faster but my body didn’t have it in me,” Moore said.

You might be tempted to feel sorry for Moore, but don’t. He told the news station that earlier that morning, in the Cobb County courthouse, he and his wife finalized the adoption of their son, Bridges, who was born the previous September in Texas.

Stephen and his wife Hope have been married for 10 years but have struggled with infertility. In 2018, the Moores adopted their first child. And while going through the adoption process with Bridges, who is their second child, the Moores learned that Hope was pregnant with their third.

The Moores want other families who might also be struggling with infertility to know that adoption is a great option.

“People that are going through that, like, it’s hard. It’s truly hard.” Moore said. “And it’s a journey we’ve been on. But we are so thankful to have gone on that journey, and where it’s led us to today.”

It’s possible that a rematch might be in the works between Moore and The Freeze, but it’s clear that Moore is already a winner.

If you want to find out more about the adoption process, please visit Focus on the Family’s Wait No More website.

Photo from WSB-TV.