Pedal Car Olympics 2026 – Cold, Muddy, Brilliant
January might not sound like the ideal month for camping, but our Scouts and Explorers proved once again that a bit of cold, wet, and mud only adds to the adventure. This year’s Pedal Car Olympics at Thriftwood brought together teams from across the county for a weekend of racing, teamwork, and sheer determination.
Armed with layers, waterproofs, and a lot of enthusiasm, our young people threw themselves into every challenge the event had to offer. From relay sprints to endurance races, the atmosphere was buzzing with encouragement, friendly rivalry, and plenty of laughter. Even when the rain turned the track into a mud‑bath, spirits stayed high — if anything, it made the whole thing even more fun.
Alexandra, one of our scout leaders tells us a little more about the weekends events:
The Scouts took part in 11 different events over the course of 2 of the days. During the competition, the scouts showed strong communication skills, great encouragement, enthusiasm, respect and good sportsmanship toward the other teams taking part. Their efforts did paid off, achieving 2nd place overall, which is a fantastic result and reflects their hard work and commitment.
The camp itself ran very smoothly and was enjoyed by all who went. The scouts especially enjoyed the menu we had planned for them. Over the course of the weekend the Scouts took part in a range of activities that helped build their skills and confidence. Most importantly they had lots of fun!
There was plenty of free time for the Scouts with lots of additional activities for them to do. There were team-building games and challenges, evening campfires, climbing, cresta run, shooting, archery, axe throwing and the cave bus.
On the Saturday evening they put on a huge silent disco for the scouts which also included a big range of inflatables and a gyroscope .
All the Leaders agree that the Scouts behaviour was impeccable. They behaved responsibly, supported each other and engaged with every part of the programme.
Alexandra C (Leader)
It was a fantastic weekend of new experiences, shared effort, and unforgettable moments. Here’s a short video capturing the energy of the event…
Emily, one of our Scouts tells us all about the fantastic experience had by all the scouts:
I absolutely loved pedal cars! This is the second time I’ve been and yet again I was not disappointed. My friends at school think I’m mad for sleeping in a tent in January, but if they could see how much fun it is, I’m sure they’d want to go too!
Everyone there was so supportive and even people I don’t normally chat with I found myself talking to. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends and create new experiences. It’s by far my favourite camp and I am definitely going to keep on going for as long as I can.
We had great food and on Saturday night there was a silent disco with inflatables which was definitely one of my highlights of the weekend . I’ve made lots of new friends from this camp . Throughout the camp we had certain races to compete in and, even the ones I didn’t do so well in, I was still proud of because everyone was so supportive. The staff there were very cheery and I enjoyed every minute of it. By the end, I was sad to leave. but I knew I could come back next year and create more great memories. Emily S (Scout)
Here are some photos of our group enjoying the weekend:
