It's not every day that you find someone willing to exchange leg cramps, sore muscles, and utter exhaustion for the benefit of complete strangers, but that is just the case for 15-year-old Zack Schulz, a freshman at Auburn Adventist Academy.
For the second consecutive year, Schulz participated in the Courage Classic, a three-day, 182-mile awareness fundraiser sponsored by the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital. This year, 400 people participated in the bike marathon from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass.
"The hardest part of the ride was pedaling up the mountains for miles and miles," said Schulz who sported several scrapes and bruises from crashing two times along the way. "Several times I wanted to grab onto a support vehicle and have them pull me up the mountain, but I decided that I was going to finish [on my own] no matter what!"
Before the marathon, Schulz went door to door, asking people to sponsor him. Over two years, he raised $1,000 for abused children, with 100 percent of donations for the children's hospital.
When Schulz visited his young nephew at the Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, he also talked with other young patients and felt compelled to do something for them.
"I knew I could do something to help," he explained when asked why he was willing to make the effort. "Some others aren't able or willing to do it. Thinking about helping the kids was what made me want to finish the race."
Auburn Adventist Academy is proud to have students like Schulz who go the extra mile to make a difference in people's lives. Find out more about Mary Bridge Children's Foundation at www.firstgiving.com/zackschulz.
Zack Schulz (fourth from left), Auburn Adventist Academy freshman, poses with his team, Prestige Homes, on the first day of the bike marathon.
Together with his uncle Darell Shulz, Zack Schulz rides in the Courage Classic.
