APPLETON (NBC 26) — Students with special needs and disabilities from three high schools in the Heart of the Valley participated in the 6th annual Breaking Boundaries Triathlon on Friday.
The event, organized by Kaukauna, Kimberly, and Little Chute high schools, gave students the opportunity to swim, bike, and run with the support of student mentors.
Jill Lotzer, a special education teacher at Kaukauna High School and the organizer of the Breaking Boundaries Triathlon, said this was her first year participating with a student.
"This was my first year doing it with a student! Which has been fantastic!" Lotzer said.
The triathlon, created in 2019, is a collaborative effort between the three high schools.
"It takes a village. And there's a lot of people that make this happen," Lotzer said.
The event is funded through community partnerships, making it free for students and staff to participate.
"We actually raise the funds through community partners, to keep it free for students and staff," Lotzer said.
The triathlon began at the Heart of the Valley YMCA with swimming, followed by cycling down the CE Trail. Some participants used adaptive bikes provided in part by myTeam Triumph Wisconsin.
David Konshak, Executive Director of myTeam Triumph Wisconsin, explained the specialized equipment available to participants.
"Tricycles, tandem trikes, and then also adaptive race wheelchairs. So those race wheelchairs will be hooked up to bikes getting pulled here, and then they will be converted into running chairs to finish up the last portion here," Konshak said.
The event concluded at the Bank of Kaukauna Stadium where parents waited to cheer on their children.
Parents Kelly and Tina Planert expressed their appreciation for the event.
"To be able to participate in all of these events in an adaptive way that fits their needs is so heartwarming," they said.
For the participants, the triathlon wasn't about finishing first—it was about the accomplishment of completing the course and being able to say, "They did it."
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