Hi everyone!
It has been just three days since we came home from our most recent Disney trip!
This trip was extra special because it was the Princess Half Marathon weekend which marked 10 years since Joey's first race, and Collins ran her first race EVER!!!
5K Recap
Packet Pick-Up and Expo
As soon as we got to ESPN, Collins got to experience her first packet pick-up! (Don't worry... all this is on video... I'll link the video at the end) She absolutely loved seeing some familiar faces in bright yellow shirts including our buddy Jessica!
There was lots of fun things to do at the expo and she was excited that she was "officially invited" to the runner's only party (the expo... lol). Of course, we had to do some SHOPPING and painting!
Her FAVORITE part of the expo was getting to meet a "REAL OLYMPIAN", Jeff Galloway! Jeff spent a few minutes with Collins (even though she was extremely shy) and loved answering her big question "what does it take to be an Olympian?" He even signed her race bib for her!
Joe, Joey, Max, Ashlyn, Collins, Jeff Galloway, Maribel, Mel, Kristin
Race Day!
2:30am Wake-Up Call!
As much as I would love to say that it was AMAZING and we had an ABSOLUTE BLAST the entire time... I would be lying (eeeeeeeek). If you know anything about Collins, it is that she is NOT a morning person... so waking up at 2:30am Florida time (1:30am STL time) was not on her list of favorite things to do at Disney. However, once she got up and moving, the excitement kicked in and she put some pep in her step!
Pre-Race
Collins loved the hype at the warm-up stage with DJCJ before entering the corrals, and she was SUPER excited to see a familiar face (and our favorite cast member), Meghan Joy, when we were heading to our corral! She was absolutely awe-struck that she got a shout-out from the runDisney announcers, John and Carissa, as they wished her good luck at the starting line. (Someday, she's going to realize that all this special treatment isn't normal... but until then, we're just going to let her ride the wave ((LOL))!
During the 5K
Collins was extremely excited to get her 5K started and left the starting line with a ton of excitement and enthusiasm... but her steam started running low just before the first mile marker. Luckily, we were steps away from entering Epcot, where lots of amazing characters were waiting for her! The Disney music mashups, characters, live entertainment, and encouragement of every runner around her, kept her trotting all the way to the finish line.
Post-Race Interview
Collins had a great time... but I'm not sure we'll be seeing her out there on the course again for a while. Although she was extremely exhausted from the 6 miles total (including walking to and from our car), she still had enough energy to hold her head up high and show off her medal!
Kellsie's Hope Foundation
Runner Appreciation Luncheon
Each race weekend, runners can choose to sign up directly through runDisney or they can choose to run for a cause and select a charity to run for! Kellsie's Hope Foundation is very near and dear to our hearts and Collins decided to raise money to run with Kellsie's Krew! With the help of her family and friends, Collins raised $1,300 for kids with cancer! All of Kellsie's Krew raised over $93,000 during the Princess Half Marathon weekend!!
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