Three examples of this preparation before the 1K cycling event:

6 1/2 year-old Gabe Kagan, representing Team Florida, trains on hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, Power Ade, and McDonalds. On the morning of today's race he was up at 5:30 and ate a granola bar.

Gabe prepared specifically for this event by riding his bike "around the block," but he also cross-trained by skateboarding, kung-fu (he has a blue belt), yesterday's 5K walk, swimming at the hotel pool, and playing with his friend, Daniel.

Gabe's training team is headed by his mom. She is one of a group of coaches accompanying him to the games, and she is the living donor of Gabe's liver on July 11, 1996, when he was 101/2 months old. She's a dedicated coach.

Gabe seems confident but a bit distracted before the race.

Andrew Watts is only 7 years old, but he is meticulous in his preparation. In speaking with this reporter before the race, he was unsure about the handwritten version of his name in my notes, so he insisted on writing it out for me. He also needed to be clear about his age, saying, "I passed 1, I passed 2, I passed 3, I passed 5 -- every single number but 6. Andrew's coach/dad confirmed that Andrew is 7.

Andrew's training regimen includes playing with his SONY, playing with cars, and yes, riding his bike. Though his favorite training foods consist of Italian pasta, ribs and chicken, circumstances on the morning of the race dictated that he postpone his breakfast. "Mom's bringing breakfast," he explained, "and my brother, Justin." They live in Aloma Woods, just outside of Orlando.

Andrew received his heart 2 years ago from a donor in Ohio. This was the culmination of a series of medical procedures that started when he was flown to Boston for the first stage of his surgery when he was only 4 days old. Stages 2 and 3 followed at 6 months and 1 1/2 years. When Andrew was 5 he complained that his feet hurt. Fortunately, his father is a firefighter, trained to check for circulation problems. He went to the hospital and immediately found himself on a medical Lear jet headed for Boston. His new heart, miraculously, was available in a matter of hours. "It was a very close call," his father says. "He was seeing the white light."

Before the race Andrew seemed confident but a bit distracted, circling restlessly on his bike. He was ready.

Andrew's heart was evident during the race. When asked beforehand how far he would ride, he said, "68 miles." His wandering from the course during the race made his prediction more true than anyone thought.

And his infectious smile and energy as he rode his tiny bike aroused the hearts of everyone who saw him.

Six year-old Brooke Miley is technically a "ringer" on Team Alabama, for she and her family live in Mississippi. But since her heart transplant was performed at the University of Alabama-Birmingham where she spent 4 months in the ICU and an additional 2 months recovering, she has a rightful place on her adopted team.

Brooke's coaches were shrugging off their worries about Brooke's recent bout with allergies -- "She coughs like a seal," said her mother and coach. A well conditioned athlete, her favorite foods are apples, grapes, broccoli, "busghetti," "buzzagna," and Coke. Her mom was concerned that her daughter had missed her breakfast, and Brooke seemed a bit distracted by the apple her mother stopped eating to offer her. She asked that Brooke remove her helmet for a picture because, "She has such pretty red hair."

Like many of the younger competitors, Brooke does a lot of cross-training. She swims and goes "to the bike trail" near her home. The day before the cycling event she bowled in the games for only the second time in her life, finishing in 5th place.