Once upon a time there was a race between a diver, a leap frog, an athlete, and a gymnast. They wanted to compete in the Olympics. The starting point was at the end of a stroke in a pool. The diver got a great start with a perfect dive, but then the leap frog did a huge leap and took the lead. The athlete tried to catch up by dashing faster, but he couldn't keep his balance and fell. The gymnast did a beautiful balance beam routine and was in the lead. But just when she thought she had won, the marathon runner appeared from nowhere and crossed the finish line first. The moral of the story is that anything can happen in the Olympics!

Reflections

1. Who was the winner of the race in the story and why do you think they won?
2. What did each character do to try to win the race?
3. How did the marathon runner cross the finish line first?
4. Can you think of another animal that could have participated in the race? What special skill would they have used to win?