A Racer’s-Eye View
Ifell in love with professional river racing at a very young age. My uncle was a well-known star on the river racing circuit, and my parents and I would y all over the country to cheer him on. I idolized my uncle. Every time he raced, I held my breath as he leapt past the starting line and made his way through a crowd of competitors. His bright colors made it easy to follow him as he skillfully dodged obstacles like river rocks and tree branches. The nish lines were always exciting and lled with noisy celebrations with everyone cheering their loudest quacks, and me squeaking with pride and joy.
I was determined to follow in my uncle’s webbed footsteps. As a wood duck raised in ponds and lakes and along rivers and streams, my uncle had a natural a nity for water. Most of my childhood was spent in bathtubs and on shower shelves. I remember as a duckling, I “trained” by dodging bath bubbles and racing toward the stream owing into the tub. I knew my molded immobile feet slowed me down, but I was determined to overcome this challenge.
I begged my parents for a chance to compete, but they were hesitant. They loved and encouraged me, however, U.S. professional duck river racing at the time was dominated by traditional waterfowl like Mallards and Pintails and Gadwalls, who were much bigger and more agile. The general view at the time was that yellow rubber ducks were more suited for Bert and Ernie’s tub than the wilds of a rushing river. I understood their concerns, but I was unwavering.
One day in April of 2018, my parents were o to a waddling, so my uncle ew over to baby-ducking me. The moment my parents took o , he grabbed my racing jersey and told me to follow him. According to my uncle’s goosey friend, a special competition was being held in a small Virginia town that he thought would be perfect for me to test my skills. The race took place on a river called the “Mighty Thornton.” We arrived in this adorable little mountain town and checked it. I pinned my race
number to my jersey and jumped into the starting bins with 249 other excited ducks that looked just like me. At the appointed time, we were released into the Mighty Thornton to cheers and encouragement of the gathered crowds lining the banks. The race was exhilarating and launched my career into professional river racing.
I entered other races and quickly recognized that river racing did not necessarily require paddling feet and an agile tail. I learned to zip around obstacles and spin out of whirlpools with ease. My smaller stature and buoyant plastic gave me an edge over feathered ducks who o en got stuck or simply distracted and ew o . I began to place among other racing ducks I had admired for years.
I returned to the Mighty Thornton River in 2019 and competed in The Great Rubber Duck Race with 1,000 competitors. The day was beautiful, the atmosphere electric, and the crowds wildly enthusiastic. As a racer, I could feel the love and support, which was ampli ed by the fact we each were competing for a human supporter who bought a ra e ticket with our number. We were dropped o the bridge and we all raced to the best of our ability. I caught a fast current to the nish line with hundreds of supporters yelling and kids blowing duck calls. Even more importantly, I spotted my parents and uncle sticking their heads out from under the forest
‘I have now raced rivers all over the country as a professional racer, but the river race at Sperryville’s SperryFest will always be a special one for me.’
of human legs to watch me place in the top 15 to win a prize for my human.
I have now raced rivers all over the country as a professional racer, but the river race at Sperryville’s SperryFest will always be a special one for me. It’s where I grew con dence in my skills and met lifelong friends, both duck and human. I take pride in helping the community raise funds through the ra e tickets to build walking trails, sponsor music events and make the community safer. This year’s race will be an extra special one for me. My uncle, Clarence, will be joining me in the water for the rst time. While my professional racing career is taking o , this will be his last race before ying south to retire.
I hope you will come out and cheer for my uncle, me, and all the other ducks that love Sperryville and love racing the Mighty Thornton. See you on April 30.