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Whiz Kids: 9-year-old Redmond Boy Completes Seattle to Portland Bike Ride
Aaryea Naik and his father Ashvin finished the trek in two days after 1,600 miles of training.
Name and age: Aaryea Naik, 9
School: Aaryea will be entering the fourth grade this fall at in Redmond.
Accomplishments: Aaryea, along with his father Ashvin, completed the 202-mile Seattle to Portland bicycle ride last weekend. The father and son team tackled the event over two days, and finishing was a memorable experience for them both.
“I felt proud for myself,” Aaryea said.
Key to awesomeness: Inspired by his uncle, an avid cyclist who completed a cross-country trek last year, Aaryea decided to take up cycling and try his hand at the Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, a 202-mile event that cyclists complete over one or two days.
Ashvin went about researching different bikes and training regimens. The father and son set weekly goals and found themselves riding three or four times a week as they prepared for the long-distance ride.
“It was pretty hard at the beginning,” Aaryea said.
Aaryea and his father both got better, though. “A bajillion times,” Aaryea said. Over the next several months, they rode approximately 1,600 training miles.
Going into the ride, Aaryea and Ashvin were careful to manage expectations. They didn’t do any boasting or early celebrating and instead focused on just getting through the distance.
Once they hit the road, they went at their own pace and stayed within their own abilities. The pair left Seattle on Saturday, July 9, stopped overnight in Centralia, then pushed on to Portland on Sunday, July 10, crossing the finish line at about 6 p.m.
“It felt pretty cool,” Aaryea said.
Event organizers said that Aaryea was one of the youngest competitors to finish under his own power, as opposed to riding a tandem or trail-a-bike. About 10,000 riders took part this year.
Now that Aaryea and Ashvin have achieved their goal, they’re going to take a break and do a bit of recovering. Before long, though, they’ll be on their bikes again.
“We’re definitely going to keep cycling,” Ashvin said. “I had so much fun with my son.”
