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THE NETHERLANDS — If you've ever been close to winning a race, you probably understand the thrill you feel when you rush past your fellow racers with the finish line in sight.
All your hard work and training is finally paying off, and you may even start to imagine yourself being awarded that coveted gold medal. But for Senn Swieters, there's something that matters a lot more than winning gold: having fun.
Senn is a 2-year-old walking bike racer (which, yes, is a thing that exists), and he's one of the best. In this video, Senn is shown competing in the walking bike competition at the Rapid Wheels, Dutch Championship on July 8, and it's as adorable as it is exciting.
The race starts with a lot of tension — three toddler racers facing off with a large crowd waiting in suspense. The course of the race is difficult — several hills practically the size of each 2-year-old loom before the racers. But when the race begins, one clear champion quickly pulls ahead: little Senn. His fellow racers struggle to make it up even the first hill without help from adults, but Senn zooms forward, overcoming each hill with ease to move to the front of the pack.
With the finish line ahead, Senn is so far ahead of his fellow racers you'll feel like you're watching Katie Ledecky break the women's freestyle record at the 2016 Olympics. Yep, he's that good.
But wait, there's the finish line, he's just about to cross ... and then he turns around. Ten centimeters away from winning the championship title and all the fame and glory that inevitably come from winning a toddler walking bike race and Senn just turns around.
We can't know for sure what was going through this talented 2-year-old's head in that moment, but I have a sneaking suspicion that little Senn is wiser than any of us can hope to be and he knew that life isn't all about winning. Sometimes having fun is what really matters. Sure, Senn may have lost this race, but he got to ride his bike for a little bit longer that day and I think he definitely wins at life.
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