Our little Heart Riders

This year we decided it was time for the kids to participate in the race too. There is a special 5k category for children under 10 years old, called the "@Heart Ride", so we signed them up for that!


(@Heart is the Charity of Choice for the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. It's a charity that helps raise funds for children that are born with heart defects.)
Initially we thought you had to be in the event to be able to pick up your child for those last 5k. Since the boys were racing for a fast time, it was down to me to sign up so that I could pick them up. We had it all planned out so that I would do the relay with Granddad, and just do the last part - I was pretty sure I could handle 40k.
But, then we realized that the kids actually could sign up on their own, as long as they had an adult escort rider with them. Even better, now I too only needed to do the 5k!

Nathan took us out to the starting point, here we are, ready to go!
Lucas got to borrow some of Grandma's riding gear - and Grandma's bike! For Linnea, the bike shop kindly lent us a bike and we bought her a cool blue and yellow bike shirt, since she didn't already have one. I rode Granddad's mountain bike.








We had a great ride all along the lake back into town! Superb!
It was glorious, sunny, warm weather; and riding alongside all the riders in the main event, sensing their excitement as they came close to the finish was so cool.

Lucas got all into it and just wanted to take off as he thought Linnea and I were to slow. I told him he wasn't allowed to sprint until he could see the finish line (500m before), and man did he go once he was allowed!!
Nathan was in charge of the photos this time, and he only got Lucas from the back too since he came whizzing past all on his own!


It was very nice because every time a @Heart Rider came in all the spectators were cheering and carrying on, Linnea thought it was great!











Lucas really, really enjoyed his first bike race experience and he's all keen to do the whole challenge next year, with Granddad! Hey, why not? The youngest finisher this year, having done the full 160k was only 11 years old!

When asked how it had been for her, Linnea answered:
-"I kept saying in my brain, go Linnea, go!"

I'm so glad we signed them up, and I'm even happier they really enjoyed it and want to do it again! Go kids, go!