An old sport, a new challenge

Rose Finnegan and her husband, Leo, have lived in Issaquah for about 40 years. It’s where they’ve raised five children, four boys and one girl.

“When we first moved here, two of our typical children were interested in Soap Box Derby. That was in the day when they had to build their own car, so it became a family project,” recalled Rose.

The family traveled from Seattle to Salem to follow their love of Soap Box Derby. But for years, their son Tim couldn’t race. He had developmental disabilities that meant it just wouldn’t be safe.

Then, during one of their trips to Salem, Leo heard about a special derby car that could be made for two people. One, the driver, was in control. The other, a co-driver, didn’t have to be in charge of the steering and braking, but could still enjoy the ride.

“Leo himself made a car, and it was really heavy. It wasn’t fiberglass; it was wood.”

So, finally Tim could ride with his brothers. He quickly learned that if he ducked his head down they would go faster.

And it wasn’t just Tim who felt a thrill riding in their new car. His brothers quickly realized they had a bit of an edge. Derby is all about using gravity to your advantage.

“They would just beat everybody going down the hill, because the car was so heavy,” said Rose. “They loved it!”

Leo was working at Puget Power at the time. They were looking for community projects to do, so he gave them an idea. A few years later they had created eight two-seater derby cars, a trailer and a starting ramp.

With their fleet of vehicles, the Challenge Race now makes stops in cities all around the Puget Sound. Rose said it’s not just fun for the disabled children, but it gives typical kids a chance to see who they really are.

“Years and years ago, you never saw people with a disability. Now, they’re in the schools. They’re with their parents getting dragged from here to there with all the activity,” said Rose.

As they spend more time in the community, people are able to see how much developmentally disabled individuals are capable of contributing. Many even have jobs.

But, Rose says they still have a lot of challenges, like finding opportunities for those who are capable to live independently from their parents. She’s part of a foundation, Life Enrichment Options, that’s working to change that. They’ve created three special homes in east King County and are raising money for a fourth.