Father-daughter soap box team breaking stereotypes

Team Samoas, from left: Samantha Wohleber, Carly Reiss, Rachel Bangham, Shannon Gannon and Avery Junkins.

Team Samoa is busting stereotypes and taking names. The team of five Junior Girl Scouts from Troop 70255 of Westlake are out to prove that Soap Box Derby Racing is not only a father-son activity.

The ambitious fourth-graders and their skillful fathers are racing in the 2015 Gravity Racing Challenge in Cleveland on April 25.

Breaking away from the stereotypical mother-daughter activities, the five young ladies are exposing themselves to new opportunities and challenges. The girls are proving that they can get their hands dirty and break a sweat just like the boys.

With guidance from their fathers, the girls have learned how to identify and use tools; how to identify parts and understand why they are necessary; and learned about shop safety. All skills not usually taught in home economics.

The girls are also learning how to finance their project on their own, which is necessary given their dreams of winning three separate derby titles.

Team Samoa plans to participate in the Cleveland (April 25), Port Clinton (May 2), and Akron (May 16) Gravity Racing Challenges.

To pay for the race fees and T-shirts, the father-daughter team has been promoting their efforts through fundraisers. They showcased their car at the girls’ school, Holly Lane Elementary, in March.

The father-daughter team will conduct test run trials on Sunday, April 12, to determine the drivers for each race.