By Elvin Carl Croker

WITH determination and endurance, nine-year-old Shante Sandy won her first brand new bicycle at the 2019 Bartica Easter Regatta Grass Track event held last Saturday.
Her journey to first place in the under-10 category cycle race for girls at the Mangarippa Playfield, began when she slowly walked along a row of neatly lined up and colourful bicycles displayed next to the officials’ area on the field. After a few moments of hesitation, she reluctantly inquired from one of the officials standing nearby about the reason for the bikes being there.

After being told that she can win the bicycle if she wins a cycle race, little Shante who was at the time holding her little sister’s hand, proceeded to solicit a bicycle from one of the other children who already had bicycles and were practising in order to get ready for their race, but her many attempts proved futile.

Even though some of the rejections were embarrassing, Shante was undeterred in her decision to take part in a race and win one of the bicycles. Up to when the race was finally called up Shante was still unable to get a bicycle to participate. Realising this, she turned her attention to a parent of one of the children and asked permission to use the bicycle.
This was finally granted but she was not quite ‘out of the woods’ as yet since she was barefooted and it was against the rules to ride without shoes.

Her new search for sneakers was not as intense as that for the bicycle since she was able to quickly sift through the group of boys standing around, and with the help of one of the officials, was able to borrow a pair of sneakers from one of them.

Shante started the three-lap race maintaining second place until the last lap when both her contender and her could not make it to ride up a steep section of the lap and had to dismount their cycles and push it up that section. But when it was time to mount the cycles once again. Shante was the fastest to do so, and in the process, she mustered up strength peddling as fast as she could to gain a faster momentum than her contender. This effort made her the first to reach the checkered flag, narrowly outriding her contender, much to the excitement and cheers of most spectators.

To many her performance is an inspiring demonstration of bravery and determination that has inspired persons who witnessed her struggle to enter and win the race.
Shante’s will power, bravery and determination helped move her from a child with only a dream of having a bicycle to an owner of a brand new bicycle and a cash prize in just minutes.

The well-attended event was organised by the Red Earth Riders Club and was incident free. The races were done in 18 categories. These included the 125 CC 4 Stroke, 125 CC Novice, 125 CC Professionals, Four wheel Bush Bike, Cycle Boys under 10, cycle girls under 10, Cycle boys under 13, cycle boys under 15 among others.
The 2019 Bartica Easter Regatta menu of events saw many other life-changing stories like Shante’s.

Sponsoring the event were Mohammed’s Enterprise Sir’s Service Station, GUYOIL, Elegance Jewelry, KGM Security, Pandit Service Station, Atlantic Marine Dino’s Enterprise and W. Golden.