In order to even be able to participate at all, a team had to raise more than $200. We did this and are very thankful for our family and friends that donated. Step 1...check!!
Early on Saturday morning, they had a 'qualifying event'. Meaning, the top 20 teams to finish in the qualifying event got to go on to the final race. There would be a total of 30 teams in the final race. The other 10 teams were the top 10 fundraising teams who automatically were put in the final race. Since we were not in the top 10, to the qualifying event we went. There was a rain delay, but eventually we got on our way.
Here we are waiting for the qualifying event to start.
There was supposed to be 5 challenges for the qualifying event, but due to the rain delay...they eliminated 2 events so we only had to do 3. The 3 events consisted of:
-Eating a bag of mini powder donuts and drinking 2 cups of coffee.
-Performing basketball drills and making a 3 point shot @ Will.iams Arena.
-Describing 4 shape magnets to your partner and the partner having to run through a slip n slide tunnel type thing and find these 4 magnets that the other partner just described on a tower full of them.
Tate and I finished 6th in the qualifying race...so we were good to go for the final race. Step #2...check!!!
We reported for the final event and it all started at 2 pm that same Saturday. Everything starts and finishes @ the Ston.e A.rch Brid.ge.
Some facts:
- Top 3 fundraising teams get a 'fast forward'. Meaning, they get to skip a challenge.
- Only ways of transportation for this race was Met.ro Tr.ansit and Nice Ri.de bikes.
I will try to remember the challenges as best I can...so here we go!
1st Challenge: Making a fishing pole out of a steel rod. Tying the fishing line to the pole and attaching a magnet to the other end. We had a list of fish in our envelopes that we had to pick out of an enclosed are.
2nd Challenge: Heading over the Guth.rie Theat.er and memorizing 7+ lines each that we had to perform in front of judges.
Here we are trying to remember our lines...
3rd Challenge: Going over to Aquatic Center on campus. We had to split up for the this challenge. On person had to jump off the top diving platform and the other person had to swim to the bottom of the deep end and find a blue rubber band on some fish's that were down there.
Here is Tate jumping off the platform.
4th Challenge: Heading over to BWW on campus and find a local celebrity that was inside and get their autograph. It turned out to me T.im Mahone.y from 'The V.oice'.
5th Challenge: We had to take the bus over to St. Pa.ul. Go to Landmar.k C.enter and break an ice block with 2 tickets inside.
Here we are running to get the clue before breaking the ice block...
6th Challenge: Go over to the Sci.ence Mu.seum (SM). We had to find certain items on the walls in the visitor center and answer questions.
7th Challenge: Go upstairs of the SM to the first floor. Tate had to go around the gardens and find little red kettles and grab a card out of each kettle. Then hand all 5 to me and I had to go find the answers.
8th Challenge: Head over to a S.alvation A.rmy station, still in St. Pau.l, and put together 5 bell ringer kettles correctly. After the judges said we put them together correctly, we had to take them apart and put the pieces back.
9th Challenge: Answer 5 questions about Dava.nni's Pizza and then call in with the answers and order 2 pizzas with 3 toppings on each pizza.
10th Challenge: Go to Dava.nni's (back to DT Minneapolis) and eat the 2 pizzas we ordered while on the way there.
11th Challenge: Head to another Salva.tion Ar.my location and answer questions about the new 'Fia.t' Car. We had to examine the car, go inside and answer any questions. If we didn't know the answer, go back out, examine again, go back in and try to answer more.
12th Challenge: Head back to the finish line. Before we could finish, we had to do the same type of 'magent' thing we did in the pre qualifying event, but instead of shapes, it was items dressed on a skeleton. I had to describe to Tate items that the skeleton was dressed in and he had to go find the items.
We finally finished then. We finished in 9th place in a time of 5 hours and 14 minutes. We were very proud of our time because when we had done this 2 years ago...we finished 17th in a time of 6 hours and 5 minutes...so we def improved.
It was a lot of fun. I wouldn't mind doing it again. It is fun and for a good cause. I would highly recommend to anyone to do at least once. It definitely is an experience.
