Before his swim meet on Dec. 7 had even started, Florida swimmer Josh Zuchowski, 9, decided he was not only going to compete in honor of his biggest rival, but also win the top trophy in the event and give it to him.

Zuchowski had not seen his friendly rival, Reese Branzell, 10, from Lake Lytle, Fla., since he had been hospitalized November 8 with a bacterial infection in his hip.

(READ the story from TODAY)