ALBANY - Fifth- and sixth-grade Albany Middle School students will participate in 2,500 miles of adventure after Monticello native Tony Wahl hopped on his bike and headed to his home state of Florida Monday, Oct. 7.
Wahl, 54, will peddle about 500 miles a week for five weeks, staying at campgrounds, motels and churches until he reaches his destination of Lecanto, Fla. Wahl, who owns an accounting and financial planning firm in Hernando, Fla., will follow bike trails along the Mississippi River to New Orleans, at which point he will follow the Gulf of Mexico eastward until he reaches Lecanto.
"I've always, always enjoyed biking," Wahl said. "It's just something I wanted to do. I've never biked on a trip that had me stay overnight."
Students will incorporate Wahl's journey into their geography lessons, studying landmarks and other points of interests in the states he travels through. The trip will also be interactive for the students, as they communicate with Wahl through email to direct him to particular sites they're studying.
"It's exciting," Wahl said of the Albany students' participation. "It's not something that was part of the original plan, but it's just made it so much more (exciting). And I hope it builds an experience that will excite them in their studies of geography."
When Wahl met with students Friday, Oct. 4 he told them "everybody is given gifts" and offered his perspective on what it means to set goals for yourself. Wahl said the hard work and determination of his sister, who is on oxygen 24 hours a day due to a medical condition, inspires him more than anything.
"I said the most I've biked is 142 miles, and that I only plan to bike about 70 miles a day," Wahl said. "... But (my sister) has to do the treadmill just to keep her lungs strong, and it is an absolute grueling feat. So, I asked them, who's working harder - my sister or me? They knew it was my sister.
"That's what I want them to learn, that everybody has different talents, everybody has different skill levels; so as long as you do the best you can with the skill level you have, then you've achieved (your goal). There's a chance I may not succeed, and I said if I don't make it to Florida, that doesn't mean I failed. To me failure is not trying because you were afraid of something."
Wahl's progress can be tracked at tonybikesthemississippi.blogspot.com.
Wahl, 54, will peddle about 500 miles a week for five weeks, staying at campgrounds, motels and churches until he reaches his destination of Lecanto, Fla. Wahl, who owns an accounting and financial planning firm in Hernando, Fla., will follow bike trails along the Mississippi River to New Orleans, at which point he will follow the Gulf of Mexico eastward until he reaches Lecanto.
"I've always, always enjoyed biking," Wahl said. "It's just something I wanted to do. I've never biked on a trip that had me stay overnight."
Students will incorporate Wahl's journey into their geography lessons, studying landmarks and other points of interests in the states he travels through. The trip will also be interactive for the students, as they communicate with Wahl through email to direct him to particular sites they're studying.
"It's exciting," Wahl said of the Albany students' participation. "It's not something that was part of the original plan, but it's just made it so much more (exciting). And I hope it builds an experience that will excite them in their studies of geography."
When Wahl met with students Friday, Oct. 4 he told them "everybody is given gifts" and offered his perspective on what it means to set goals for yourself. Wahl said the hard work and determination of his sister, who is on oxygen 24 hours a day due to a medical condition, inspires him more than anything.
"I said the most I've biked is 142 miles, and that I only plan to bike about 70 miles a day," Wahl said. "... But (my sister) has to do the treadmill just to keep her lungs strong, and it is an absolute grueling feat. So, I asked them, who's working harder - my sister or me? They knew it was my sister.
"That's what I want them to learn, that everybody has different talents, everybody has different skill levels; so as long as you do the best you can with the skill level you have, then you've achieved (your goal). There's a chance I may not succeed, and I said if I don't make it to Florida, that doesn't mean I failed. To me failure is not trying because you were afraid of something."
Wahl's progress can be tracked at tonybikesthemississippi.blogspot.com.