|
He’s coming back.
Paul Staso, the man who ended his solo run across the country with a step in the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Henlopen State Park on Oct. 20, 2006, will be back in Lewes next week to embark on another mission.
This time, Staso, 42, will bike the same route in reverse, all 3,260 miles of it, across the country in an effort to become the first person to ever complete a solo run and cycle across the county in one year.
Promoting Active Children Everywhere (PACE) Bike 2007 will start at Cape Henlopen State Park Wednesday, April 11, and Staso hopes to put his bicycle wheel in the Pacific Ocean in Cannon Beach, Ore., June 17.
But, it’s not only about athletic achievement. Staso plans to stop at as many schools as possible along the way to make good on a promise.
t was during a visit to his parent’s home in Alaska that Staso came up with the idea to cross the country again. “It was in December and about 30 degrees below zero. I was on a hike and it was the first time since the run that I was actually alone,” he said. “I was thinking of all of the empty schools that I passed by on the run because it was summer, and I made a promise to myself that if I had the opportunity to go back, I would take a message to those kids.”
After a meeting with his family, and a unanimous vote of approval, the wheels were put into motion in December for PACE Bike 2007.
Staso is expected to arrive in Lewes Monday, April 9, from his home in Missoula, Mont. Tim Bamforth and members of the Seashore Striders, who helped with arrangements with the run, are assisting with lodging and transportation while Staso is in Delaware and Maryland.
During his tour across the country, Staso plans to make stops at schools to make presentations to students. So far, he has scheduled more than 25 presentations for about 12,000 students on his detailed itinerary, which includes riding across 15 states. He plans to average around 55 miles a day, which should mean about four to six hours of biking each day.
He will spend one day in Delaware and Maryland, one day each in Washington, D.C. and Virginia, four days each in West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana, three days in Illinois, six days in Iowa and Minnesota, five days in South Dakota, three days in North Dakota, 14 days in Montana (including four off days), three days in Idaho, fives days in Washington, ending with six days in Oregon. Twelve days of rest are planned.
On his first day, he will ride 72 miles from Lewes to Grasonville, Md. Staso, who was greeted in Lewes at the conclusion of his run by his wife Vicki and their four children, is a former fifth-grade teacher. He owns his own website design business and said he plans to do some business while on the road.
He completed the solo run because of a promise he made to students at Russell Elementary School in Missoula. To help promote the importance of youth fitness, he told students if one class could complete a virtual walk-run across the country within a school year, he would do it for real.
Staso said no individual class in the United States had accomplished the feat. And two classes, a fourth and fifth grade class at Russell Elementary, were able to complete the virtual feat.
For the bike ride, Staso said he is fulfilling a promise to himself. He wants to go back across the country and take more time to speak with young people.
The message he will deliver is one of not limiting dreams, fitness and perseverance. “Part of the message is that if the kids take care of their body and keep fitness as a priority, their body can take them on a wonderful adventure,” he said.
Another adventure is about to unfold for Paul Staso.
Contact Ron MacArthur at ronm@capegazette.com
|
