My Inspiration
I took clementine to a bike shop a month ago to get her a bike without training wheels as requested by her teacher at school.
I was then hounded by the teacher almost daily because the bike I’d gotten was apparently “too big for her” and because of that she couldn’t go very fast on it. I went down to the track at their school and watched her ride it and she didn’t go very fast but She’s only 4 years old and that didn’t really bother me. I told the teacher this and she rolled her eyes.
Today at her school they had track and field events that ended with a three mile bike ride that only the “big guys” did(6 year olds). Clementine and I have been talking about bikes a lot and she knows I’ve been going on long rides, I’ve done 2 40 mile rides just this week, and she’d mentioned that she wished she could be in the “big guys”(6 year olds) race.
During the track and field events I asked her teacher if she could do the race and a 6 year old kid said “Clementine’s too slow” but the teacher said if Clementine wanted to that it was ok and no one could make fun of her when she didn’t finish.
I’ve gotta say I was a little pissed about all this, it just seemed disingenuous and counter productive. I got Clementine and we walked the 1/4 mile track they were going to race and talked about every pothole and slant, when to pass and how to enter the turns to minimize slowing. I showed her how to pass other kids on the straight away and talked about doing everything you could, without endangering anyone, to never let anyone pass her.
She won the race today a full lap and a half ahead of everyone. I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of anything in my entire life. She beat a bunch of 6 year old boys on a pink barbie bike. And that snotty 6 year old kid was BUMMED!
That teacher needs a snizzpunch. Clementine is the greatest!
Go Clem!
It feels so good to see all that hard work pay off. I defy her snotty teacher to say some shit about Clem come Monday.
Way to go Clementine! She didn’t want to finish behind all those 6 year old boys, she might have caught one of their cooties.
That’s a really nice story
That is a memory that is going to stick with her for a long time and you should be proud 
She put that six-year-old in his place.
Congratz to her.
Yahoo! Way to go Clementine!!! I love to hear these kinds of stories. Awesome job Dad, teaching her the ins and outs of the track. It’s little conversations and reassurances by a parent that can send a child over the top in events like this. She knew she could win after Daddy told her how it was done. You sure know how to make an ol’Sarge tear up.
Doing things with your children is the most rewarding thing you can ever imagine doing. Knowing that Dad is doing it makes it all the more enjoyable. I used to take my girls on long bike rides through Salem, Oregon where I raised them and they are active healthy grown-ups to this day.
Your getting some awesome mileage numbers Ethan and the results are health and the relaxation you get from a good exercise. I took a long ride today and decided that I may just do a multi-state ride in a few months. I have been wanting to ride down the west coast for a long time now and I think I may just put this ol’carcass on the bike and give it a shot. Tent, sleeping bag, clothes and take off. I love being retired and I might as well take advantage of the time I have.
Best internet story I’ve read in a looong time.
Tell Clementine Ol’Sarge is proud of her too. She sure showed them boys. Yeehaw!
That is a great story and Clementine is very lucky to have a dad that knows she can accomplish anything if she sets her mind to it and works hard for it!
You should try telling the “teacher” to get busy on your *manhood*.
Then when she comes back with the inevitable, “I beg your pardon?” you can get up in her face and yell…
*I GUESS YOU’RE NOT VERY FAST EITHER, ‘EH?!*
Yay Clementine!! You are bounded only by the limits of your imagination.
This is a great story and from the sounds of it you have a lucky daughter who has a great dad thoughs are some of the best moments in life. and for the record long live Randy Hickey! Keep up the good work Ethan you have inspired alot of people.
Clementines a lucky girl to have you as a dad! I’m sure she loves her barbie bike almost as much as she loves her great dad. Hopefully her teacher learned from this not to discount her students potential.
Yes! I wonder how the teacher took it. Maybe she’ll be a little less of a control freak?
..you had me proud after reading this…
That was an AWESOME story!! I am so happy to hear she beat out everyone. As a parent I know exactly the feeling you had and she will give you many more moments of that feeling in years to come.