This Saturday Gregor completed his first triathlon. He raced the Kirkland Kid's Triathlon with 150 other kids, ages 5 through 12. What an experience for kids and parents alike!
Gregor was nervous the night before, but we assured him this was a good sign. After a bowl of Cheerios and getting his transition gear organized, we drove down to the starting line with plenty of time to review the course and the transition process.
Twenty minutes before the start he wanted to play tag, so we did. I guessed this was his way of dealing with prerace anxiety, just like adults like to jog back and forth just before a marathon.
We knew the swim would be the trickiest part of him, so we suggested to take it easy. He felt better when we told him he could always stand up if needed.
Once the race started, Eric and I had to sprint from one place to the next to cheer him. He always had a smile when he saw us, but when he didn't see us, he was deep in concentration.
He sprinted to the finish line, and for us, his finish was more exciting than our own finishes at races. He smiled when he received his finisher's medal and said "My first gold medal!!!".
When Eric took a picture of us, my hand rested on hist chest. His small heart was still racing, ten minutes after crossing the finish line.
Many more races await him in life, and we will always be the eager spectators watching him overcome his own obstacles.
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