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  To assist in motivating the 4th and 5th grade
students in their virtual Run/Walk Across America challenge (www.seeusrun.com), Paul Staso, the
spouse of Russell Elementary P.E. Instructor Vicki Staso, told the
students that he would actually
attempt to run across the United States between Friday, June 23, 2006 and
the end of October if
either the 4th grade class or 5th grade class (or both, but not combined)
successfully completed their virtual trek across America by the last day of
school on June 9, 2006. The students met the challenge before the end of the
school year and Paul's run became a reality. Paul's trek is called the "P.A.C.E. Run" (Promoting
Active Children
Everywhere") and he
maintained an
average pace of 30 miles per day on his
route across America, taking a few scheduled rest
days while on the road. His family, who are shown to the left,
were supportive and encouraged him daily.
Aside
from fulfilling his
promise to the Russell
Elementary students, which was his primary reason for running,
Paul also wanted the run to encourage children to be more conscious of their health and
fitness.
Fitness statistics
indicate that these are lessons that need to be learned and adopted at a
young age in order for children to have a solid foundation for
maintaining physical fitness as a regular part of their daily routine as
they mature and grow.
The
route for
Paul's run across America followed the same route as that which the
students virtually ran/walked during the 2005-2006 school year, and he shared updates through this web site so that students
and others could follow his progress. Married 20 years, the father of four,
and a professional web developer, Paul truly enjoyed fulfilling his
promise to the kids.
Final statistics about P.A.C.E. Run 2006 can be found here
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A Message From Paul's Wife, Vicki
 I
want to take a few minutes to share my thoughts and feelings
about Paul’s adventures with P.A.C.E.
I don’t tend to be public and really
feel much more comfortable behind the scenes…keeping the day
to day activities of our family going and quietly supporting
Paul in a variety of ways. Many, who know me, have asked me
directly and I tend to just shrug and smile.
I do, however, realize that there are many people out there
who don’t know me and have faithfully followed Paul’s
journey and wonder what my position is. So it is to you that
I write to let you know that I am amazed at the gift of
endurance that Paul has been
blessed with and am inspired by his desire to share his life
and to make a difference in the quality of others’ lives.
Paul is an awesome husband and father and strives to balance
all the roles he has been given. Endurance athletes have a
drive that few truly understand (I not being one of them!)
but I also know it is part of who he is and when all aspects
of his life are in balance, he is then at his best. We are
learning, as we journey through life together, to support
and encourage each other in all the areas that we are
gifted. Paul does the same for me. I know in my heart, that
by giving him the opportunity to do P.A.C.E., many blessings come from it. To name a few, I would have to start with the
example for our own children to follow where God leads and
to have a passion about something where you can make a
difference. As a family, we also are gaining many individual
lessons about unselfishness,
 teamwork and encouragement. And
then there are the many who have the opportunity to hear his
messages of personal fitness, following dreams and enduring
challenges and I pray that of those who hear, some lives
will be changed.
I will never stand in
the way of what he is called to do and I trust him
completely that he always has his family’s best interest at
the forefront of all decisions he makes. He has demonstrated
that to us over and over. I respect how hard Paul works and
his drive to make a difference in a world that is so
confused, sending contradictory messages to our children. I
also know and am experiencing that God blesses and gives
strength and encouragement for those who walk beside Him.
Thank you for traveling this journey with Paul and with our
family. |
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