“A Cool Experience”
by Clayton March
It started out just as any other ordinary day-but ended anything but normal. Getting out of bed was possibly the most difficult part of participating in the event, but as I would later learn, it was well worth it. Usually, when I woke-up for school, strands of Iight were visible seeping through my drapes, but not today. It was completely dark. I knew it must have been early, but I would soon be up at the hill.
Before I knew it, I was at the starting line ready to officially begin the race. I had been knowledgeable that one of the volunteers had no experience whatsoever of cross-country skiing. Thinking of that no doubt made me a bit nervous but it was part of the excitement. Myself along with two other volunteers, Jason and Joyanne, were about to conquer a section of the race deemed extremely tough, even by experienced skiers.
As the downhill skier handed off his sticker, we began down the slopes. A huge cheer arose from the crowd at the starting line. With the adrenaline pumping, I was speeding down the hill. Within the first few minutes, one of the volunteers “got the hang” of steering. I really didn’t know what to expect, except for one thing. I could expect the unexpected.
Just when I and the two volunteers felt a bit comfortable, the first malfunction occurred. This now meant that one of the volunteers, Joyanne, hung onto my shoulders, while using her feet to steer the half-broken sled down the hill. This was okay, but I could sense this wouldn’t be the last of our complications, and sure enough, it wasn’t. The biggest one was yet to come.
Within minutes, the entire frame of the ski-chair gave way and soon I was sliding down the hill. I yelled at Jason to stop, and thankfully he herd me. Once the initial shock was over, Jason and Joyanne built up a snow bank, so I could sit calmly leaning against a tree. I was actually quite comfortable, and possibly the most relaxed I had been that entire day. Now it was time to call for help.
Joyanne used a cell phone to notify one of our teammates about what had happened. Jason finished the section of the race, in order for our team to make further progress. The Nordic Paramedic ski team was dispatched to get us off the mountain. Soon after, three patrollers arrived with backpacks full of blankets and food. I once again found myself in conversation with one of the Paramedics before the skidoo finally arrived.
After riding back on a skidoo for the first time and driven to City Park, it was then time to mingle with my team. After talking with my teammates, I was notified that our team did not make the cut-off time by four minutes. Looking back, although this was disappointing, our team still had many positive accomplishments. Even coming so close to finishing given the fact that the ski-chair broke was a big feat in itself. The race proved that, like in life, with the power of the team anything is possible.
