Do you Believe in Magic?

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Nadine Gregerson, Children's Lighthouse of Minnesota
Nadine@ChildrensLighthouseMn.org • 612.325.2295
 
Kathryn Jensen, St. Paul Magic Special Olympics Team
kathrynjensen@me.com • 651‐246‐1192
 
Jean Freidl, Nature Valley Bicycle Festival Consumer Media
jeanfreidl@comcast.net • 651.247.2685
 

Special Olympics Team St. Paul Magic giving it their all Wednesday at Nature Valley Bicycle Festival Kid’s Fun Race in St. Paul

 
June 11, 2012 – St. Paul, Minnesota – Michael’s wish for his 9th 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 8th 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.
 
* * * * *
About Special Olympics Minnesota
Special Olympics Minnesota offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round sports training and competition. Through Special Olympics’ athletic, health and leadership programs, people with intellectual disabilities transform themselves, their communities and the world.
 
About Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota
The mission of Children’s Lighthouse of Minnesota is to build the first residential hospice home in the Midwest, offering palliative care to kids with a shortened life-expectancy. It will be a place where families can go for a necessary break from the 24/7 complex care of a child who is medically fragile, allowing the family to emotionally recharge and gain strength, and a sacred place providing compassionate hospice care at the end of a child’s life. Children’s hospice and respite care homes around the world are primarily funded by community philanthropy and Children’s Lighthouse believes that Minnesotans have the means to make this home a reality for children and families here, too. www.ChildrensLighthouseMn.org

About Nature Valley Bicycle Festival
Now in its 14th year, the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival is an 11-day celebration of bicycling that includes amateur and professional racing and community events.  The marquee event, the Nature Valley Grand Prix is held June 13 – 17. The stage race has become the top event on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, attracting top American and international racing teams and nearly 300 top riders from around the world.  The festival also includes activities like kids’ fun “races”, recreational rides, stunt rider shows, lifestyle expos and live music to celebrate the cycling culture. For a schedule of events, visit www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com

 
More about Kids’ Rides at the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival
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.
 
More about the St. Paul Criterium & Festival
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.