“I didn’t think I would ever be able to ride a bike and I told my parents that the whole trip from Florida to Virginia. Every time I tried to ride my bike without training wheels I would fall. It is really frustrating when all your friends and younger cousins can ride a two wheel bike and you can’t.

When we got to bike camp on Monday morning, everyone was very nice and wanted to help me learn how to ride a bike. I loved Ms. Lisa, Ms. Heidi and my volunteer. I was able to ride the first bike and it was really easy and fun and I wasn’t scared after a while. When I left camp the first day, I was really excited! I was really going to learn how to ride a two-wheel bike!

The second day was great too and I was starting to feel very confident. The third day was a lot harder but I still did it. The fourth day I got too tense and fell down but Ms. Heidi ran behind me for the rest of the day and I felt better when I left. The last day was the BEST day! I rode my two-wheel bike all over the gym, all by myself! It was the most amazing feeling! I was so proud of myself and so were my parents and sister and all the volunteers and instructors.

We drove all the way back to Florida the next day and I rode my bike all by myself for my whole family to watch. Everyone cheered and said great job. I try and ride my bike everyday for at least 20 minutes and sometimes my parents take me and my sister to a bike trail near our house. The last time we went, I rode for 5 miles straight, with only a couple of stops and I was ahead of my entire family the whole time!

I hope one day that I can compete in a bike race or triathalon. I’ve learned that you can do anything you want if you try hard enough and you believe in yourself.”