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Throughout the year we'll hear from eight bloggers as they share about their family's time in the brand-new Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience® and how it inspires them to explore these sports back at home.
This post was written by Children's Museum Blog Ambassador Matt Todd. Follow his posts on the blog and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @mattdantodd.
My wife, Christy, grew up around racing. She spent many a May weekend in the shadow of the iconic racetrack, listening to the roar of the engines as they zoomed around the 2.5 mile long oval. Her grandma even worked at the Speedway. Christy has deep family roots in Speedway, Indiana. I think it’s safe to say that May is a special time for our family. That’s not unusual for people who grew up around the track.
When we visited the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience®, it was fun to be greeted by a giant pagoda as we wandered through the massive outdoor expansion of our favorite children’s museum. We raced on over to the Church Brothers Collision Repair Drag Strip where our family dueled in a one-on-one, head-to-head pedal car competition. The competition was intense.
Can I tell you a secret? Sure I can. It’s just you and me here. Right? You won’t tell anyone. This needs to stay between you and me. I think Aly let her sister win. And that’s just what an older sister should do from time to time. Even so, we almost had a photo finish as Aly made a furious comeback at the end of their race.
Did Aiden show the same courtesy to his mom when they raced each other? Well, take a look at the Central Indiana Honda Dealers Winner's Circle.
He and Mihret enjoyed celebrating their victories with the giant trophy at the Winner’s Circle. We’ve seen our share of trophies and medals and other hardware, but this is probably the largest trophy we’ve ever seen. It would take a pretty large trophy case if you were to try to display it at home. Aiden seemed to think that maybe we should try to take hit home and put it on display.
I doubt he would’ve been able to get the trophy past security if he really could pick it up. He’ll just have to come back to the sports experience again to bask in the presence of the largest trophy he’s ever seen.
Mihret has dedicated herself to preparing to go even faster next time we visit The Children’s Museum. She’s riding her three-wheel bike as frequently as she can. Her physical therapists love that, by the way. Cycling helps with her gross motor skills and helps build her strength. It’s also great for improving range of motion and coordination. She’s even created a chart to track how long she has ridden her bike for the week. She’s super dedicated to getting better.
The Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® is a great way to make a memory with your family. It’s also a great way to inspire your family to get moving every day. I’m sure Mihret will set a personal record next time we visit. How about your kids?
