My wife and I do not have any kids.

Over the decades, I used to pursue all these Tarzan activities with my young friends. We swore we could never be separated...

Then, they started having kids. Pretty soon, nearly every one of them dropped out from our circles, preferring to attend the weekend soccer games of their little tikes. I could never understand how people would give up their own hobbies, and actually prefer to attend those kid's sports events, played at basic kid's levels.

So, enter into our life, Barbarinha, a beautiful Brazilian of 27 years of age. In no time my wife and I adapted her, in absence of her loving Brazilian family. I met her last fall while practicing in a Hawaiian-style racing canoe for my upcoming South Seas competition. She was practicing for her upcoming competition in Rio de Janeiro with her team in Adventure Racing. They won that 600 km long race through the Brazilian jungles, beating 32 international teams, including the World Champion team.

Barbarinha is the most natural, most talented athlete I have ever met, and I have been around top National and Olympic athletes much of my life. Everything she does, she does it with perfect body coordination. Incredible talent! Since Adventure Racing is a multi-sport discipline they have to compete in many different sports for extreme, often non-stop distances up to 800 kms long. Kayaking, my long time competitive event, is one of the commonly used discipline.

So, immediately we begun training together. She has been using my racing kayaks since she does not have her own here, in the US. She is attending a PhD program in Forest Management at a local University, planning to become a University Professor in Brazil with the aim of training lots of experts who will eventually help to manage the great Amazon rain forests. I am immensely proud for her to be doing this.

Kayaking is, for her, an auxiliary event, not a main event. Since residing in the US, she has been winning every single ultra-distance mountain run, mountain bike events. A real long distance person. I have been helping her with the proper kayak-racing techniques as well as with long distance race strategies. She is very shy for asking and my friends and myself are also helping in the lining up some team sponsorships for their 4-member, mixed Brazilian/Spanish team, of which she is the only female member.

Today was her first kayaking competition. She was using my ultra light weight whitewater racing kayak, since I was racing the faster "Surf Ski" that most competitors use for this event. The race distance was 8 miles. She paddled a beautiful race, exactly per agreed race strategy, having drafted the female overall leader in the much faster ski. About 300 yards from the finish line, Barbarinha unleashed a super impressive finishing sprint, basically leaving the race leader standing-still and winning the race by a good 15 seconds. The other gal was shocked for loosing the race over the last few yards to a much slower racing boat and to a totally unknown person. Oh, and I could mention that her technique is so impressive that people were wondering who she was, where she come from. Honestly, I wish I had her technique and I have been at this for nearly 40 years.

Barbarinha was ecstatic for winning her fist kayak race and my wife and I were even more so, if that is possible. For the first time, I felt the great excitement that one could get from the success of an other person. I was saying to my wife how I could now relate to our old friends dropping their favorite action hobbies, just to vicariously enjoy every little success from their kids.

I know that this is not a Jaguar-related post but, I'm just so proud of her today.. she is truly the daughter we never had but, always wished that we did!

Picture 1 - Just about to cross the finish line.
Picture 2 - Finish line picture with our adapted daughter.
Picture 3 - Heading for the winner's circle.

 

sweet!


Nice kayak, too.

 

No children here either.....

I could read the enjoyment from your post and you being so proud of the daughter. You and your wife are blessed.

As we get older, those adults without children have a "void" in their lives.

I am so happy for you and your wife.

We love our Jaguar's but their is no replacement for children, no matter how old they are.

 

Lovely story, congratulations!

 

Nice story and congrats to her!!!!

 

Really cool story, thanks for sharing.....

Having kids of my own and having let go a lot of my activities / friends to be able to take them to play their chosen sports and cheer them on, I can honestly say...there's nothing like it.

So happy that you found this and enjoy the experience

 

What a great story

I have two daughters...an apple for each of my eyes. I'm so proud of them my buttons are perpetually on the verge of bursting.

They're grown and on their own now. I often wish I could turn back the hands of time.

Well, anyhow, congratulations to you, Albert. And thanks for sharing.

Cheers
DD

 

Congratulations to her and thank you for sharing the story.

 

Wonderful story. For those of you with children just wait until your children present you with grandchildren - that is really something special.

 

I agree with others, having the little guys in your life a blessing. It's more so, when one has lost a wife. The grand children become the extension and the continue legacy. I love my toys, but, attending a young person's soccer game is as good as long cruise, top down on a warm summer's night.
Happy trails today.....thanks for a great story!

 

A Nice story ..Isnt life strange?? I was married at 21 , had 2 daughters & divorced at 30. I'm 68 now & havnt seen ex wife or daughters since ( I think I have blood grandkids somewhere . After many yrs of single again adventures , I met up with my partner at age 42 . She also has 2 daughters & now also a grandson ( 16 now my best friend ) . So I was given a 2nd chance , for which I am thankful . But then they say truth is stranger than fiction .

 

No kids here either, but we are dog parents and a new dog at that. Here's Lily, which we have owned since February. Our previous Corgi, Camber; died mid January.

Lily is a sweet dog who becomes a pest if you pet her once; she won't leave you alone!

 

thanks for sharing, life takes some funny turns

 

Married 43 years with a son and daughter, both married and highly successful professionals, and 2 grandkids ages 3 and 6 who live nearby.

Having grandkids lets me re-live my life when my kids were little and I was a workaholic, and enjoy what I missed with my kids.

 

I'm only 40 but can feel that void when around friends with kids... Glad to see that you are enjoying life outside all of our discussion on this forum!

 

Far too serious.

 

Nothing but a deleted post...

 

Great story- thanks for sharing!

 

Edited, keep forgetting this is the Jag forum and not the BMW one

 

Please forgive me for bragging just a bit regarding our "adapted daughter". BTW - we had a great time taking her Brazilian "real parents" around CA a couple of weeks ago.

"Go Outside Magazine-April/2014 9. Outsiders award: "... selected to receive this trophy a select group of athletes, explorers, innovators and activists who have contributed to expand the boundaries of sports and outdoor life in Brazil.""

Second picture is an Olympic racing kayak that I've just finished restoring for her from junk..