One Boston public school teacher is going to the ends of the earth for her students — literally.
Frustrated by the lack of technological resources in her sixth-grade classroom, Gardner Pilot Academy teacher Liz Byron will take on a 155-mile ultra-marathon through the Sahara desert starting Sunday in the hopes of raising money for laptop computers for the Allston school.
“It’s an extreme race,” the 29-year-old Byron said, “but it’s for an extreme cause.”
Marathon des Sables might be considered the toughest foot race on earth, but tackling the challenge is worth the effort, according to Byron — as long as it pays dividends in the classroom.
“While the race is crazy and absurd, there’s a gap (in education) that’s more absurd — that middle-schoolers don’t have access to technology in a (technology-driven) society,” Byron said, “I’m just trying to fill in monetary gaps that exist in a small school with a highly dedicated staff.”
The teacher is using the six-day race as teaching tool, too. During recess, students can join Byron and run a 1-mile lap around the school, which gives them a sense of what their teacher is aiming to accomplish. Byron said her students appreciate her dedication and write thank-you letters to everyone who donates to their classroom.
“They think it’s crazy, but they also appreciate it and they see it as all these people are trying to help us improve their education,” Byron said.
Byron’s biggest concern going into the race will not be the snakes crawling across the desert, but the heat of the Sahara, which Byron said is something she cannot prepare for while training in Boston’s climate.
“It will come down to mental fortitude,” she said.
Byron is encouraged by the support the school has received.
“It has been so inspirational,” she said, “and it motivates me to go on longer runs and work harder as a teacher.”
To donate to Byron’s fundraising campaign, go to www.crowdrise.com/lizbyron.
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