Appleton teacher bikes over 2,000 miles for inclusive playground

APPLETON — After weeks of battling storms, flat tires, broken spokes, mountains and desert-like heat, an Appleton couple has completed a cross-country bike ride to raise money for an inclusive playground.

Zoa Thao, who teaches and supports students whose first language is not English at Highlands Elementary in Appleton, and her husband, Shwa Lo, embarked on their journey June 11. They reached their destination of San Francisco late Wednesday night, and planned to reach the Golden Gate Bridge on Thursday.

“We knew it was going to be a challenge, but we didn’t want something that was easy either,” Thao said. “What keeps me going is I think about the kids.”

Years ago, Highlands Elementary and Odyssey Magnet School students started raising money for an inclusive playground, which children of all abilities could access and enjoy. With the first phase of the project finished, the playground already has many inclusive features, including a large ramped structure, multiple accessible swings and a communication board.

But without poured-in-place rubber surfacing, children with mobility challenges can find these new additions difficult, if not impossible, to reach without assistance.

“We have the equipment, but if we don’t have that blacktop, it’s incomplete,” Thao said. “We want them to have their independence, and I can imagine the smiles on their faces when they do that.”

More: Highlands Elementary School received a $10K donation for accessible playground equipment

Thao and Lo decided to use their love of biking to raise money for the surfacing and an accessible slide, which combined totals $40,000. The couple has been sharing the playground’s GoFundMe link along their journey, and, as of their final day biking, they've brought in over $3,800 in donations.

“Most people who see us doing this are just amazed at what we’re doing and continue to root us on,” Thao said.

Back home, Appleton Area School District students are also getting in on the cause. As part of the Move for a Mission campaign, students are collecting pledges for the number of minutes they are active over the summer.

It’s cyclical, said the school’s principal, Kari Krueger: Thao and the students are raising money for the playground by exercising, and the upgraded playground will then allow a broader swath of students to be active.

An adventure of passion and purpose

In a way, Thao and Lo’s summer expedition was born out of the pandemic. As the world seemingly closed down around them, the couple revisited biking.

They gradually started going on longer rides, first around Lake Winnebago, then around Lake Michigan, before deciding they wanted to take their passion cross-country.

With Highlands-Odyssey recently launching Phase 2 of their playground fundraising efforts, Thao saw the perfect opportunity to link their shared passion to a bigger cause.

Krueger was shocked when Thao presented her plan. But, considering Thao’s work at Highlands-Odyssey, peddling for the inclusive playground made sense.

“Her role here servicing our students who have English-language learning needs shows a side of her talents and expertise to challenge us to include all students,” Krueger said. “But she really stepped outside the zone as an EL teacher by partnering and working with a different set of students who have needs.”

Thao said the trip would not have been possible without Lo, who not only biked with her, but also acted as travel agent and mechanic. The duo also received mountains of support both at home and en route, Thao said.

There was the family in Madison, Nevada, who opened their door to Thao and Lo so they wouldn’t have to sleep in their tent among thunder and lightning. There was the bike shop attendant in Kearney, Nebraska, who repaired Lo’s broken spokes for free, and sent Thao and Lo on their way with pickle juice to prevent cramping. When it was 113 degrees outside, a sister and brother who found Thao and Lo resting under a tree gave them a ride to their campsite. In Green River, Wyoming, a family insisted Thao and Lo sleep in their bedroom, fed them and did their laundry.

“We’ve just been meeting so many nice people on the way who helped us to get where we are, so I have to give credit to all of the people who helped us,” Thao said.

For more on Thao and Lo’s journey, visit their Facebook page at bit.ly/Zoaadventures . To donate to the GoFundMe, visit bit.ly/donateHighlandsplayground .

More: Inclusive playgrounds provide a safe place for children of all abilities. Here’s why that’s important

More: Where can you find inclusive playgrounds in the Fox Valley and beyond?

Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps member based at The Appleton Post-Crescent. To contact her, email mlammert@gannett.com or call 920-993-7108 . Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to Report for America by visiting postcrescent.com/RFA .

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton teacher bikes over 2,000 miles for inclusive playground