CHICO — More than 170 little kiddos eager to get the wiggles out made their way to the Kids Adventure Course put on by those at Sierra Nevada Classic Fitness Expo.

Bouncing pigtails and little faces painted with tiger stripes, kitty whiskers, Batman or butterflies powered through a colorful obstacle source Saturday at the One-Mile Recreation Area in lower Bidwell Park that challenged the kids’ endurance, coordination and speed.

This is the second time this year Sierra Nevada Classic Fitness has hosted the kids' obstacle course. The local organization usually sponsors bodybuilding and physique competitions for adults, but event coordinator Adam Bankston wanted to branch out and get the kids moving.

“It’s designed to get (the kids) focused on fitness through fun obstacles,” Bankston said. “We want to pair fun activities with fitness so they have these associations with fitness when they grow up, and it doesn’t feel like a chore.”

Bankston, who is a professional athlete, also wanted to give back to the Chico community. Registration for the Adventure Course was free for kids, but funds raised during the event will aide a new residence for Catalyst Domestic Violence Services in Chico.

After learning about the impact Catalyst has made on the community, Bankston said he wanted to pull together his resources and help the organization all while keeping healthy habits and fitness at the forefront.

Also, with the help of local businesses like Mom’s, Whole Body Fitness and Nutrishop, desirable donated prizes were raffled off between races.

Kristy Malloy, of Paradise, enrolled her three children ages 12, 10 and 7 in the course. Running drills is nothing new as their father had a military background and Malloy said her kiddos enjoy these types of trials.

“They definitely need to get some energy out of them,” she said as the three ran circles around their mom playing a friendly game of tag before their race began.
Malloy’s biggest fear for her children racing through the course had to do with their height. One hurdle had racers crawling through an expandable “Caterpillar Tunnel,” one Malloy was cautious about. Though there was no age limit for the Adventure Course, the obstacles set up veered on the smallish side for younger kids to run through.

“I’m afraid they’re going to get stuck,” she said with a laugh. “I’m just hoping that they have a lot of fun.”

Malloy’s oldest, who is a tad taller than the average 12-year-old, did struggle to crawl through the tunnel but made it through and onto the last leg of the race that led her through a bounce house and swiftly down an inflatable slide.

As the kids made their way through the seven obstacles, event volunteers sprayed squirt guns for a misty cool down during the course.

Event Organiser:
Adam Bankston
Sierra Nevada Classic Fitness Expo

Browse Complete Report@ https://americanfitnesscontests.com/snc-kids-adventure-course/