Chapter 10: Challenge completed!

Over the next few days, Kipwil worked hard.  She ran, she swam and once Hubba Hubba tended to Randy, she rode.  To her continuing surprise, her favourite was fast becoming the swimming, and the children LOVED all the visits to the pool.  Sergeant JFDI had reduced his growl to a dull roar and was full of stern praise for Kipwil.

At last, the day came and Kipwil completed her final laps of the pool.  Her Challenge of Honour was finished...11 months early!  Kipwil had run a total of 43 kilometres, ridden 35 kilometres and swam a massive 80 laps....4 kilometres in just 18 days.  Kipwil sat astounded at the edge of the pool when Sergeat JFDI passed on that information.

"You are kidding me, really?  It seemed so much!" Kipwil said still trying to get her mind around it all.

"It is not time to rest on your laurels. Stay on track! You need another challenge Kipwil.  Now you know what you can do, it is time to stretch yourself.  I expect your goal by tomorrow and I will get you there." promised Sergeant JFDI.

Kipwil and the children walked home form the pool behind the marching Sergeant.

" What goal do you think I should do? Kipwil asked them.

" Ummm....maybe you could do like..... I don't know...." was Sonny Jim's helpful contribution.

" Maybe you could be a princess!" suggested Princess.

Kipwil thanked them but thought she'd ask her friends through the communication tablet.  The replies came through quickly.

" How about a handstand a day?" was one suggestion.
" How about a minitriathlon?" was another.

And then the solution came through....." How about running the same number of kilometres as it would to go around Victoria or something like that?"

Kipwil thought that was a brilliant idea and decided upon a destination.....her hometown of Nothing Ever Changes.  It was a distance of 1658 kilometres and Kipwil gave herself the rest of the year to do it.  Her plan was to log her progress on the communication tablet and give a description of the 'towns' she passes through.  Sergeant JFDI was impressed and happy with the plan.

" You will need to run at least 36 kilometres a week to achieve your goal.  We start tonight" he ordered.

Kipwil put on her running shoes after dinner. The air was much cooler and she set off along her favourite 10km track, along the river.  The sun was seeping out through the sky, bleeding out its light and the trees shadowed greenly and cool along the banks.  Kipwil took an easy pace and revelled in the air against her skin, the grassy smell in the air and the sound of the water trickling along.  She made slow but comfortable time to the turn around point and noticed the sun was sinking a little faster than she thought.  She stepped up the pace but kept her breathing even and controlled.  Her mind wandered onto many different subjects as she ran into the deepening dusk, racing the rabbits back to her home, when IT happened. 

As Kipwil was running she was suddenly lifted up.  She felt like she was running on air, on the shafts of dying sunlight, speeding her way home.  She was as light as a bubble floating in rainbows, she was a swift as the water tumbling over the rocks.  She was filled with the whole universe inside her head and body, she was in tune with the secret of life.  It was almost as if Kipwil herself had ceased to exist.  But as soon as Kipwil started to notice it more, the feeling faded, leaving her with a residual energy and a peace that she hadn't felt before.

Kipwil sprinted the last few hundred metres to her house and arrived just as the dark smothered the land.  She was still in wonder at what had just happened but found she couldn't find the words to describe it sufficiently.

What just happened?  How can I get that feeling again?  It was amazing.....I could have run forever. she thought, trying to remember exactly how it felt. She felt she had experienced something precious, something to be treasured forever.


And so you have came Diamond Doll's voice. It will come again, although you cannot search for it, it will come upon you when you least expect it.  Treasure those moments for you are truly then in the flow of life all around you.

Kipwil gazed upon the stars starting to peek out under the blanket of night.

Thank you she said softly and she went inside.


A new challenge for Kipwil!  What is in store for our Wonder Woman next week?  Stay tuned.....