Olivia's First Race
By Ashlin Awerkamp (Based on a true story) Olivia shifted back and forth on her bike, rocking from one foot to the other. She ran her fingers over the gear shifts as she watched the other contestants line up around her, most of them juniors and seniors. One looked over at her and sneered. She gulped and clicked through the gears again. Mountain biking was still new to her. She had started practicing with the high school team just two weeks ago. It was hard work to pedal her bike up and down the steep, bumpy hills. On the first day, she crashed into a tree. While she was sitting and sniffling, Coach Whitney had personally walked over, helped her up, and encouraged her to keep trying. Then, at the last practice before the race, Coach Whitney had explained one of the racing rules. “Sometimes people get a flat tire. If you need someone to help you change your tire,” she said, “you get a five-minute penalty.” The odds of getting a flat tire seemed low. She hadn’t seen anyone get a