Foundation For Youth Triathlon

Oh the In it to Win It girls! They have so much fun in Columbus, Indiana that it just shouldn’t be legal. Today was a day of volunteering, sight-seeing, and fun! Our day started at 7 AM with the Foundation for Youth Triathlon. Missi had been training for weeks for the swim portion at her grandparent’s pool. Oh how she spent each night going back and forth in their above ground pool. She was mentally prepared for the event and Mandi and Erin were there to cheer her on! The team was given the duty of helping people out of the water as they exited that part of the triathlon. They were paired up with other volunteers from the community and they did such a fine job. One of the other volunteers is the General Manager of Old Navy, so the team was able to do a bit of networking too! Those In It To Win It girls are always making the most of every challenge! Unfortunately, our blog format does not support video images, otherwise you could hear the crowds roar! As Missi came in from her swim everyone cheered for her. She wasn’t the first in, but she did a great job. Yes, she was not the first out of the water . . . In fact, she was the last! It turns out that training in an above ground pool just doesn’t compare to the horrendous conditions of Tipton Lakes . But alas, she was consoled after the race by Mandi and Erin as they told her that she made them so proud just by attempting the swim at all. Erin even showed her pride by giving Missi a victory dance that really boosted her spirits and she was once again ready to race on!

Tony Stewart and Spinning Out!

After the triathlon the In it to Win it Girls headed over to the Tony Stewart sign to get a picture for that challenge. Everyone driving by hooted and hollered for them as they stood by the sign. Jeff Gordon even came by and offered to let them get a picture with him but they politely declined. They new that they must stay focused on the final prize, so they headed on their way.

They decided that since the Landfill was close by, they would head over to the Recycle Sign made of grass. Here they received some unexpected fun. After being under the Tony Stewart sign, they were all feeling ready for a spin! Missi got the bright idea of laying on their sides and rolling down the hill. Now that sounds like fun right? You would think so and it was . . . but it was also down right dangerous! It has been close to 100 degrees all week. As a result, the grass is brittle and nearly dead. Erin's husband, Chris, tried to warn the girls that they should maybe leave the spinning to Tony, but to no avail! And as soon as they headed off down the hill, they knew they were in trouble. Each time they turned it felt like needles poking into their skin. And unfortunately, no one had thought about how they would have to wait for the momentum to stop before they would quit rolling! Mandi was thoroughly enjoying herself and laughing so hard, she thought she might have an accident! And as they finally slowed down, the world kept spinning for Missi and Erin. They both said that this activity should be illegal, as they felt high as a kite as they neared the bottom. In fact, Missi felt so disoriented that she actually lost her lunch before she finally returned to normal. All three girls were left with cuts and abrasions all over their skin from the grass, they were covered in a strange rash, AND a great amount of itching!!

Anderson Falls

After the team gained their wits temporarily lost from their roll down the grass sign, they headed over to Anderson Falls . Oh they had been outside all day and the only thing that really got them through the heat was knowing that they would be able to relax in the beautiful revitalizing falls! As they approached, the girl’s jaws dropped to the ground. They discovered that the name of this place was very misleading! For one, it was not anywhere near Anderson, Indiana and for two, there was hardly a drop of water, let alone falling water! Mandi dropped to the ground in exhaustion. They had come all this way for the refreshing springs! Erin screamed "NOOOOO" and it echoed over and over in the empty hole that used to be the falls. Missi exclaimed, "This is not what it looked like in the brochure!"
But alas, not all was lost. Miss and Erin enjoyed dangling their feet over the edge of the so-called falls. Missi even found a hole with some interestingly green water and seaweed that she claimed was the pit of youth. She rubbed the seaweed and water over herself and her teammates. They left the falls feeling refreshed, young, and quite professional once again!