IN April 2006, Merle Parfitt launched a new and exciting Island competition, known as "The Ber-mazing Race", a concept taken from the widely popular US television Reality Show, "The Amazing Race". According to Ms Sharon Turner who has worked closely with Merle, elaborated on the format of the increasingly popular event.

"The format of which will eventually lead them to the finish line. The race is packed full of fun, exciting adventure like challenges and tasks designed to test both mind and body."

Merle Parfitt has a long standing reputation of youth involved activities and causes and represents a solid testament to that fact that investment in children is without a doubt the greatest investment we as adults can make. For more than 20 years Merle Parfitt has invested her time, heart and soul in Bermuda's youth programmes, including, but not limited to coaching girls netball, being an avid softball fan, organising fund raisers and contributing personably when called upon to assist in enabling our youth to participate in events both locally and overseas. It has always been and still remains a mystery how she methodically manages to hold down a full-time job, manage a very busy household and still find time to give to her community.

On Saturday, May 24th, she piloted her latest and one of her greatest undertakings to date, when approximately 45 of Bermuda's finest gems participated in the first event and extremely successful "Youth Edition of the Ber-mazing Race". The day-to-day requirements associated with this production, which delivered an event filled with fun, facts, exercise and camaraderie differed somewhat from her annual production of the Ber-mazing race, mainly because there's something magical about the feeling you experience. The time, effort and love that goes into a youth production, gives back to us, a little piece of heaven and allows us if only for that moment intime to live vicariously through the pure, unbridled, precociously fun filled eyes of a child and t hat, is both comforting to watch and rewarding to be a part of.

The race started on time and from the onset it was clear that the children were excited and curious about the mystery and skills they would be using to complete the race. Some of the examples of the tasks were, fishing jelly worms from a bowl of chocolate pudding without using their hands and diving in shallow water for matching team numbers, to name a few. The tasks had to be completed in order of Bermuda Parish locations and then the contestant had to present a board of parishes in the correct order, from West end to East end. It was clear that they were both challenged and motivated when they showed up at the main booth where there was a map of Bermuda stationed to assist them in determining their next parish. From a spectators view the teams of two could be seen running, conferring and disagreeing and agreeing then taking off in all directions with Elmore Warren of Fresh TV hot on their heels.

At 1.45 p.m. the winning team of Noah McHardy and Joseph Pacheco, aged ten crossed the finish line, coming ins second was Courtney Anderson and Chineza Augustus, third place went to Kayjuna Lema and Jelae Albouy with fourth place going to the team of Jahkote Webb and Marcus Hayward. Prizes for the winners included Nintendo Wii's Bikes, iPod shuffles, cameras and camcorders.

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