The late George Sheehan, a physician, athlete and philosopher, once said, “Out on the roads, there is fitness and self-discovery and the persons we were destined to be.”

Two Fountain Hills women, runners both, discovered something about themselves while participating in a half-marathon in Zion National Park, Utah. And destiny surely played a part.

Nancy Yates and Tara Cormier entered to run in the Zion Half Marathon with the plan to take first in their individual age divisions. The race, held March 12, was the second Zion race in which they participated.

The race this year was a little different from past races. Marathons, half-marathons and triathlons often start in waves. Yates and Cormier like to start in the first wave, but they consciously decided to go with the second.

“I really don’t know why we decided to do it that way,” Cormier said.

“But we talked about it. We just thought it seemed like the thing to do.”

The start also was changed. Typically runners can drive and park near the starting line. At this race, due to heavy rains, the parking lots were flooded. Buses carried runners to the start line.

During the race, between miles three and four, Yates and Cormier encountered another runner on the ground.

“A bystander was doing CPR,” Yates said.

As critical care nurses, Yates and Cormier are highly qualified to take over such a scene.

Cormier explained that you state your credentials out loud so people know you are able to take charge. Within moments, the two were joined by an emergency room nurse, and ER doctor and a critical care doctor. Three of them, including Yates and Cormier, worked on the patient.

“We worked on him for 20 minutes before paramedics arrived,” Cormier said.

The paramedics gave the runners full reign to work on the downed man.

“Paramedics usually take over a scene like that,” Yates said.

“But they knew we had it under control.”

And despite the fact that the group was far into Zion Park, away from services, conveniences or medical help, they saved a life.

“Most people who have coded (had cardiopulmonary arrest) in the field, they either don’t make it or end up with a hypoxic brain injury,” Cormier said.

“Because we essentially were with him immediately after he had gone down, we were able to save him.”

The patient, who the two only know as Lance, was taken by ambulance to St. George, Utah. They have not been contacted by him, but his cousin did post a thank you on Facebook.

After the ambulance left, the Fountain Hills runners decided to continue on their run.

“We went there to run, so that’s what we did,” Yates said.

But when they got to mile seven, they took a break.

“We normally never stop,” Cormier said.

“As soon as I stopped, I started crying. It took me awhile to get it under control. The event was very emotional. We were literally out in the middle of nowhere with the idea in mind of winning a race when we had to seriously shift gears and take care of that guy.”

As ICU nurses, their training takes over.

“You get in a zone,” Yates said.

“You aren’t thinking about what you are doing. You just innately know what to do. We definitely had delayed reactions to what we did during the race.”

Yates added that she now looks at running in a different way.

“It has forever changed the way we run,” she said.

“You never know how people are doing in a race. You are so into your own run, you aren’t real aware of what is going on around you. I think this really taught us something amazing.”

They also ran with a different group of people after they resumed the run.

“We have been running a long time,” Cormier said.

“We are usually in the front of the race. This experience gave us a chance to be with people who are average runners, people who maybe are just starting to run in big races.”

The two said they are “very competitive,” but they were happy to be around a different type of runner who encourages others.

“I think every time I run a race, I learn something new about myself, which is one of the reasons I run,” Cormier said.

“You run because you love to do it. It is a lifestyle, something you have to do to be fulfilled.”

And on that one Saturday in March, another lesson was learned.

“We carry our credentials in our heads,” Cormier said.

“But we carry them in our hearts as well. Human life is what matters.”

Yates, 50, has two children at home. Her husband, Cecil Yates, is a Fountain Hills Town Councilman. She works part-time now as an out-patient nurse. She runs as often as she can. She said she already has begun making plans for her and Cormier to run at Zion next year.

Cormier, 45, has two grown children and is helping her daughter plan her wedding this summer. Cormier continues working full time in ICU.

The two have been close friends for years, but their experience at Zion changed that, as well.

“This really was a life-changing event,” Yates said. “We love running together, and this event made it different and better.”

And Yates’ husband, who they call their “best cheerleader,” couldn’t be prouder.

In an e-mail to The Times, he wrote, “The final report was that Lance is doing fine. Can I get an ‘amen’ for Nancy and Tara? Our ‘Angels in Utah.’ And by the way, they finished the race.”