Three-wheel wheelbarrow ride

Risk taking has always attracted me and it can be traced back to my very early years. One of my first high-stake adventure happened when I was about five years old and was playing around my parents home in the French Alps. My dad had a 3-wheel wheelbarrow, an unusual contraption that could only be found in Haute-Savoie, I guess. That unique cart, used mostly to carry manure, was parked behind the house and next to a steep slope that dropped more than 200 feet below to “La Dranse” the local torrent.

While still a tiny tot, I managed to climb into the cab and began to roll the front wheel with my two hands. Slowly, I managed to maneuver the heavy wheelbarrow so it pointed straight into the slope and before long, it barreled down like a rocket with me as its unique passenger. The first part of the slope was about 20 degrees followed by a short, flatter ledge before plunging again into a 30 degree slope that generated a high rate of speed close to actual flight.

Amazingly, I managed to hang on during the ride, hopefully enjoying the acceleration until the steep section transitioned with the much portion near the riverbed. The wheelbarrow hit the transition with great force and I flew up in the air before landing in the meadow while my ride continued and came to a stop a few yards short of the water.

I then managed to crawl half the way up the steep hill, because one of my knees was hurting badly, and was met by my 12 year old brother who after seeing both the wheelbarrow and his younger sibling missing, ran almost all the way down, picked me up and carried me back up the best he could until he was met by my panicked parents who had just figured out the situation. I had enough strength and audacity left though to tell them that if they had put that terrible wheelbarrow away, I wouldn't have been hurt. I obviously survived the ordeal to write this blog, only had a sprain knee but a lifelong appreciation for high speed and for becoming an adrenaline junkie. Even today, I still wonder why I never mentioned this remarkable performance on any of my résumés!