Windy Shao windysjf@hotmail.com THE Fun Farm in Guangming District came alive over the weekend with youthful energy as it hosted the Shenzhen leg of the 2024 Spartan Kids Race. This exhilarating challenge beckoned children outdoors, urging them to explore the limits of their physical prowess and to boldly embrace the spirit of adventure and self-discovery. The experience transcended the traditional bounds of competition, centered around the joy of participation and the integral development of the young. The race’s obstacle course provided more than just entertainment: it’s a journey of life lessons where children foster kinship, muster courage and develop a robust mentality on health and resilience. The race also propelled children into action — to run, leap and revel in the joy of movement. As they ascended walls and crawled under barbed wires, the youngsters also learned about cooperation and the significance of extending support to one another. The race redefined the conventional track meet — morphing into a five-kilometer challenge, four kilometers for those under 10, marked by mountainous terrains and obstacles reminiscent of military training drills. Fire leaps, wall scales, trekking through a muddy pond and even crawling under barbed wires were just some of the challenges they faced. “We’ve seen participants from the world over, including France and England. Many have traveled from Hong Kong just to be part of this spirited gathering,” a member of the race staff told Shenzhen Daily. At the sight of a daunting, muddy pond — one of the many obstacles — hesitation was commonplace among the children, a stark contrast to their urban playgrounds. “Help, how can I swim in a muddy pond?” cried out a boy gingerly making his entrance. Persistence paid off as, with a little peer support, his trepidation turned to triumph and joy: “I did it, and it was thrilling!” Seven-year-old Aimee Chen from a Futian school described her debut race to Shenzhen Daily with innocent enthusiasm: “Tackling most of the obstacles came easy to me, but I failed climbing the wall the first time. I tried harder the second time, and I made it and it was delightful and simply indescribable.” Eleven-year-old David Cheng, another eager young participant, commented on the challenge: “This being my second race, it’s challenging but I completed it in 45 minutes,” he proudly said. The accompanying photographs were taken by Shenzhen Daily photographer Liu Xudong unless otherwise indicated. | 