June 11, 2012 – St. Paul, Minnesota – Michael’s wish for his 9^th birthday – to invite his new friends to race their bikes on the same course as the pro’s during the first day of the Nature Valley Grand Prix that takes place in his hometown of St. Paul this coming Wednesday. These eight kids aren’t your average kids, and neither are their bicycles.

 

Michael, the youngest of four children of Kathryn Jensen and Alex Zeibot, hasn’t let life hold him back. Michael has Down Syndrome. His mother, an avid racer, took him to the Stillwater Criterium last year to watch the pros race and participate in the Kids’ Ride. At that moment, with the crowd cheering him on, Michael was profoundly changed.

 

“Wheels of possibilities were turning in his head as he watched with awe at the speed of the professional racers, and then was out biking on the same course as the pros to receive his own medal,” said Kathryn. On Michael’s 8^th birthday he became eligible to compete in Special Olympics but to Kathryn’s surprise there was not a community team to be found in St Paul or Minneapolis. With undying support from her family and close friend Pam Burkley and her family, Kathryn created the St. Paul Magic Special Olympics Team. This small team of newfound athletes has competed in a variety of sports, from bowling, basketball, aquatics and will compete in the State Athletic (Track and Field) games in Stillwater June 21-23 as well as the Polar Plunge. Most important to his parents, Michael has formed a bond he hasn’t experienced before. Friendship.

 

“Meeting other kids with disabilities has changed Michael,” said Kathryn. “Now he has a social group of friends he feels comfortable with, kids that have the same energy he has. Michael is genuine, kind, a loving person; he lives fearlessly and is who he is. Finally he has friends to invite to his birthday party.”

 

In preparation for the Festival, Kathryn worked with friends Lee Penn and Erik Noren to find special bike equipment for the team, including borrowing adult trikes, recumbent or tandem bikes, and just the right training wheels for Michael to give him stability. Kathryn’s number one priority is to ensure the kids have a good experience; they are safe and have fun, and that they cross the finish line smiling.

 

“There are many kids out there that don’t have access to bikes, if their parents aren’t cyclists, it’s hard for kids to get access and find joy in the sport. They are missing out on the opportunity to learn to ride and enjoy the sport in the second most bicycle-friendly state in the nation,” said Kathryn. Students from Cretin-Derham Hall have been instrumental in supporting St. Paul Magic, helping to coach and teach them about safety and bike skills. They will also be at the festival assisting the team, who will be wearing their St. Paul Magic team t-shirts.

 

“This is a testament to the underlying mission of the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival, promoting healthy lifestyles for all through biking,” said Festival director David LaPorte. “We are honored to have the St. Paul Magic joining us on Wednesday, and we truly look forward to it!”

 

The Festival is an eleven-day celebration of bicycling that includes amateur and professional racing and community events. A volunteer-run event, proceeds from the Festival will go to Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota, a non-profit organization raising funds to build the first residential hospice home in the Midwest offering palliative and respite care to children with a life-limiting disease and their families. When completed, it will be the fourth home of its kind in the entire U.S.

 

Magic is truly the theme of St. Paul Magic. Kids with disabilities are magical. Kathryn has big dreams for St. Paul Magic. Special Olympics, Minnesota doesn’t offer biking as a sport. Yet. Do you believe in Magic?

 

Come cheer on Michael, the St. Paul Magic and hundreds of other kids riding the pro course this Wednesday near Rice Park in Downtown St. Paul. More details about the race course, schedules, routes, parking and other specifics can be found at www.NatureValleyBicycleFestival.com.

 

 

 

Think your child would get a kick out of racing their bike on the same course as the pros, and win a real bike racing medal? Then pack up their bike and helmet and head to the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival, where we offer Kids’ fun races in Saint Paul (Wednesday 7:15pm), Cannon Falls (Thursday 6pm), Minneapolis/Uptown (Friday 7:15pm), Menomonie (Saturday 4pm) and Stillwater (Sunday 12:45pm). The races are free and open to all kids ages 12 and under, and everyone wins a medal! Registration is available day of at the volunteer tent in the Expo area.

The first criterium race of the Nature Valley Grand Prix begins at 6:15 p.m. near Rice Park, with the Saint Paul Downtown criterium. (The start/finish line is located on St. Peter between West Fifth and Sixth Streets.) Located in downtown Saint Paul, this criterium takes riders around portions of Rice Park with the Landmark Center, Saint Paul Hotel and Ordway Center as a backdrop. The course is just under a mile in length and features a short brick stretch sure to test the mettle of the riders. This is the first of three criterium (short circuit course) stages during the six-stage, five-day Nature Valley Grand Prix. This race is mostly flat and will produce finishing speeds of nearly 40 mph. Racing among the more than 150 men and 150 women professional riders will be fast and furious. 

 

In addition to professional bicycle racing, the festival hosts many family activities. Stunt Riders thrill spectators with their high flying acrobatics on wheels. The Wheaties Fan Zone features information and activities about professional bicycle racing. An expo area consists of booths for local and regional businesses to offer cycling gear and other goods and services.