Usually the spectators are the ones cheering on the
competitors in the race, but now there is a new team of cheerleaders who are
actually taking part in the races as well. Two superheroes, Superman and
Spiderman can be seen at every major mountain bike race in the country. The
two are actually grandfather and grandson: Wichien Sontarot, 69, and Sukchai
Sontarot, 3, have been doing this for about 3 years.
To many
grandchildren, their grandfathers are already “superheroes”, but for
little 3-year-old Nay Sontarot, his grandfather Wichien truly acts the part.
Wichien was a janitor before he started competing and
when he went into retirement he was constantly suffering from some kind of
pain or sickness. His doctor told him to start doing some exercise to see if
that would help cure some of the problems. This is when he took up mountain
biking and it has helped him open his eyes and ears to the world.
Together with his grandson, nicknamed Nay, he has
traveled to over 76 provinces to take place in races, including most
recently Lopburi, Ayutthaya and Saraburi.
Dressing in the superhero costumes has helped make the
races more fun for his grandson and has also helped him and the other
competitors forget about the seriousness of the race.
Wichien says whenever he wins a race it just adds to the
excitement of getting something extra for doing something he has fun with.
After all, who knows how long he can keep doing it, since he is nearly 70
years old.
A couple of weeks ago at the Mabprachan Long Boat races
there was also a mountain bike race which Wichien and Nay entered, wearing
their superhero costumes of course! Wichien placed 3rd in the 20 kilometer
race. He says the best he has ever gotten was 1st place at a race in
Supanburi, Prachinburi.
Now he also has a new surprise superhero costume for his grandson and
himself to wear, but he did not show it at the Mabprachan race. However, at
the next race he will surely do so.
