He isn’t as famous as his sister, he wasn’t spotted by (nor did he pose for a photo with) a stranger. He didn’t struggle through rehab to get to this point, and I’m not sure he even realized he was going to run until we showed up and pinned a number to his back, but I’m still pretty proud of my little guy.
Long time readers know that Nathan has something of a streak going: he’s completed a race at Disney every year of his life.
And that doesn’t include the half marathon and 5K he completed at Disney while in the womb. 🙂
Now that he’s four, it was time to move up to the 200 meter race. He and I lined up together in his corral; Sarah Kate, Katie, and the rest of the cheer team waited near the finish. It took me all of 30 seconds to start wishing that I’d sent someone else into the corral with him while I relaxed peacefully at the finish.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait terribly long before they lined up his wave and we were off.
As anyone who knows anything about Nathan could guess, he was quite enthusiastic about the opportunity to RUN! as fast as he could around the track. He was so enthusiastic that I quickly realized I had seriously miscalculated my undergarment needs and began wishing I’d worn a sports bra. 😉
Around the halfway point, he stopped short and poked himself on the left side. He didn’t fuss or complain, but I’m pretty sure he had a stitch. Happens to the best of us, amiright?
As he came onto the straightaway, our group started cheering and some other spectators joined in. I encouraged him to run to Duffy, which he did, and I exclaimed, “Give him a hug!”
To which Nathan reacted by stopping right in front of Duffy and giving him a very strange look.
But, eventually, he warmed to the idea.
And then, guess what? An old friend was waiting at the finish line!
That video you saw last week that showed both Sarah Kate and me on camera, being interviewed by Bob Hitchcock? Nathan was actually the first Sligh to have the mic that day.
Another year, another medal earned. Good job, buddy.
