If you saw Christopher Hawkins walking his pet through Assiniboine Park, you would probably do a double take.
“Some people thought it was a little dog but they get closer and they’re like ‘Oh my God it’s a turtle,’ Hawkins said.
Thunder is a 33-year-old red eared slider turtle. She loves swimming, being outside, and eating fish. If you spend less than five minutes with the duo at Assiniboine Park it quickly becomes obvious that Thunder is used to attention.
The outings sometimes become a story of show and tell, as a crowd of children gather to watch Hawkins take Thunder swimming at the pond where ducks float nearby.
“Careful. She bites and she jumps,” Hawkins said to the curious kids who wanted to take her leash.
“That’s a first for me,” one woman said, who just had to stop and ask Hawkins how old Thunder is.
Despite what they say about a turtle’s speed, Thunder is fast—relatively.
She took home several titles at the Boissevain Turtle Derby in the last 90s, including world champion.
"In 25 feet she got 16.2 seconds,” Hawkins said. “It was like the road runner going against all these other slow turtles.”
Thunder has taken a hiatus from racing but Hawkins is considering starting a turtle racing derby here in Winnipeg, if enough people are interested.
“In the meantime she’s going to prepping,” Hawkins said laughing.
