Eight Cordova boys have participated in a summer camp that culminated in a 5k foot race through punishing wind and rain. The Let Me Run camp, which spent five days training participants for the race, was funded by a grant from the Valdez United Way. The camp curriculum emphasized emotional as well as athletic development, said Nicole Songer, executive director of the Cordova Family Resource Center.
JT Anderson, 10, said he enjoyed the race in spite of suffering a leg cramp midway through.
“It was challenging at some times, but it was actually really fun,” Anderson said. “It was raining, and the rain was going down my shirt, which slowed me down a little bit.”
The Amazing Race run, held on Friday, July 26, divided camp participants into two teams of four: Lightning Fast and the Speed Turtles. The teams competed in the run, which also featured activities like jumping jacks, a wheelbarrow race and quizzes on material from camp. Perhaps the most challenging event required participants to circle a gazebo without dropping an egg balanced on a spoon held in their mouths.
“It really focused on teamwork, not whether one kid was faster than the other,” Songer said. “They had to work together as a team and use each other’s strengths to progress as a team.”
