It's Time to Say Goodbye to The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation

In 2009, I formed a non-profit organization called The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation -- PACE being Promoting Active Children Everywhere.

The mission of the foundation was to encourage, educate, inspire, and motivate children worldwide to adopt life-long habits toward a healthy lifestyle; to expand their knowledge of the world around them; and, to pursue their goals and dreams with the abilities they possess. While President of The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation, I spoke to thousands of school children in the United States and Europe through assemblies with the hope that my message would spur them on toward a healthier lifestyle. Now, 13 years after forming the foundation, I am dissolving it and retiring from actively promoting health and fitness to a national and global audience of children.

I'm about to turn 57 years of age and my focus has now shifted. These days, my running is much more personal and has a stronger spiritual component than in the past. Also, rather than aiming to encourage or inspire young people who are several decades beneath my age, I would like to try and challenge those who are 50+ in age. 

The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation saw participation from nearly 100,000 school children from 12 countries in numerous PACE Trek running/walking challenges across states and countries. Those children logged a total of nearly a half million miles – enough to circle the globe 20 times!

As I lead the foundation I had seven teaching goals:

• The importance of good health/nutrition, as well as the benefits of frequent and consistent exercise.
• The benefits that can be experienced from running and/or walking.
• That if you take care of your body it can take you on some wonderful adventures.
• Interesting information about the various locations that I ran through completely alone.
• The importance of setting goals and pursuing dreams, no matter the obstacles in front of you.
• That a positive attitude and the desire to positively impact the lives of others can be very rewarding.
• That perseverance can take you places that you never imagined you could go.

The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation also participated in child-focused health and fitness seminars, as well as presentations at schools, conferences, and other settings. Educational curriculums were also developed by the foundation to benefit school children, such curriculums promoting an active and healthy lifestyle.

I am closing the doors on the foundation with great satisfaction in my heart for what was achieved over the years. It will be the only non-profit organization that I will form in my lifetime and to know that it reached children around the globe means a lot to me. Now, it's time to run forward into the next chapter of my running life. For those of you who take time to stop by this blog now and then to read the words of this runner, I thank you.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

Fatter Not Fitter -- The Decline of Today's Youth

I read a news story yesterday that made my heart sink. CNN reports that ten times more children and teens globally are obese today than 40 years ago. The number of obese children and adolescents rose to 124 million in 2016 -- more than 10 times higher than the 11 million classified as obese 40 years ago, in 1975 (when I was 10 years old). This equates to nearly 6% of girls and nearly 8% of boys being obese.

CNN reported on the largest study ever done in obesity, with more than 1,000 researchers collaborating to analyze weight and height data for almost 130 million people (including more than 31 million people 5 to 19 years old) in order to identify obesity trends from 1975 to 2016.

From 2005 through 2011 I ran thousands of miles across states and countries -- speaking to countless numbers of school children -- in an effort to combat the development of the statistics that CNN reported yesterday. Obesity in our world is going to have to be fought by more than just a handful of people. It truly is going to take more than a 'village' to turn things around. It's going to take the whole world. Sadly, it seems that too many people are not only thick in the waist when it comes to this issue, but thick in the head as well.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

Kids in the 1970's Ran a Mile 90 Seconds Faster Than Kids Can Today

Children today take 90 seconds longer to run a mile than kids did 30 years ago, according to data from 28 countries. Children's aerobic fitness has declined by 5 percent since 1975.

Researchers at the University of South Australia used running speed as a simple proxy for aerobic fitness, because it measures cardiovascular health and endurance. Aerobically fit adults are much less likely to have heart attacks and strokes, and children who are aerobically fit are more likely to be fit as adults.

The researchers analyzed 50 studies that included 25 million children ages 9 to 17, in the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

Children's speed started dropping in the 1970s, and kids have continued to become more snail-like ever since. The research shows that increased weight explains 30 to 70 percent of the declines in children's aerobic fitness. Lower levels of physical activity, both in organized sports and at play, account for a lot of the rest.

Children are much less likely to walk or bike to school than they were in the 1970's, at least in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Neighborhoods are increasingly suburban and people are driving more.

However, it's not just the kids that we should be concerned about. Research has also shown that adult aerobic fitness has been falling at pretty much the same rate as children!

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

A Special Award From The World-Renowned Mayo Clinic

It was ten years ago when I ran through Rochester, Minnesota during my solo run across America. I was asked to be a guest speaker at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, and even got to speak to a group of children from a nearby school who were transported to the Mayo Clinic to meet me. I met many wonderful doctors doing some very important work, and some of them wanted to hook me up to machines to study me. I had completed nearly 2,000 miles of my 3,260-mile coast-to-coast journey and they were curious as to what was beneath the surface of the guy pushing a loaded jogging stroller 30 miles per day. Suffice it to say, I managed to do my visit without the doctors at the Mayo Clinic poking and prodding me. I simply outran them! :)

While there, I was given a very special award from Mayo Clinic's Project Director of their CardioVision 2020 program. The "Health Hero Award" was presented to recognize my efforts in promoting childhood health across the United States. I consider it an honor to receive that award and I truly respect and applaud the diligent work that doctors and researchers at the Mayo Clinic conduct every day.

CardioVision 2020 is the Mayo Clinic's comprehensive initiative to reduce coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Every year, more than a million people from all 50 states and nearly 150 countries go to Mayo Clinic for care. The Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Rochester, Minnesota; Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona; and Jacksonville, Florida -- and the Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

Is America Sinking In Obesity?

Is the BIG issue of obesity sinking into the brains of Americans, or is America simply sinking under the increasingly alarming weight of its citizens? Based on recent information from the Centers for Disease Control and other prominent organizations, statistics show that in the United States 16.5 percent of children ages two to 19 are overweight and 9.9 percent are obese. Since 1980, obesity has more than doubled across the entire global population. If current trends continue, 70 million children will be at risk of being overweight or obese by 2025 -- only 9 years from now.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation, Inc.

After I did my 500-mile run through Alaska in 2009, I decided to form a non-profit youth fitness foundation to encourage children on a global scale toward greater health and fitness.

The mission of The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation, Inc. has been to encourage, educate, inspire, and motivate children worldwide to adopt life-long habits toward a healthy lifestyle; to expand their knowledge of the world around them; and, to pursue their goals and dreams with the abilities they possess. P.A.C.E. stands for "Promoting Active Children Everywhere."

Over the years, The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation has aimed to fulfill its mission through an array of projects and events. The foundation has organized and executed ultra-endurance events (called "PACE Trek") in which I – the organization's founder and president – run across states and countries solo while virtually including children worldwide. During these endurance adventures I use an online classroom to teach about locations, health and fitness, goal setting, and running. Students track my progress in real time and run with me virtually in teams at their schools, trying to accumulate as a group the same distance that I'm accomplishing solo. To date, nearly 100,000 school children from 12 countries have participated in PACE Trek events, logging a total of nearly a half million miles – enough to circle the globe 20 times! With each PACE Trek challenge I have had seven teaching goals:

• The importance of good health/nutrition, as well as the benefits of frequent and consistent exercise.
• The benefits that can be experienced from running and/or walking.
• That if you take care of your body it can take you on some wonderful adventures.
• Interesting information about the various locations that I run through completely alone.
• The importance of setting goals and pursuing dreams, no matter what obstacles might be in front of you.
• That a positive attitude and the desire to positively impact the lives of others can be very rewarding.
• That perseverance can take you places that you never imagined you could get to.

The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation has also participated in child-focused health and fitness seminars, as well as presentations at schools, conferences, and other settings. Educational curriculums have also been developed by the foundation to benefit school children, such curriculums promoting an active and healthy lifestyle.

The Board of Directors of The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation is responsible for management and oversight of the organization and affairs of the corporation in accordance with its Bylaws. This includes management of the corporate assets and allocation of corporate resources to projects benefiting youth. The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). The organization's tax-exempt status began on June 8, 2009.

I'm proud of what has been accomplished through the Foundation since its inception. I thank all who have served, and currently serve, on the Board of Directors. There are more mileposts ahead and The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation will continue with its aim of educating, motivating and inspiring young people.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

Who Is Outside More -- Children or Prisoners?

Who spends more time outside, a child... or a maximum-security prisoner? Watch this film to find out.



We've gotten to the point where children spend less time outside each day than prison inmates do in the United States. Inmates are guaranteed two hours of outdoor time daily, whereas one in two children is outside for less than an hour each day. A recent survey of 12,000 parents in 10 countries (United States, Brazil, U.K., Turkey, Portugal, South Africa, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and India), who have children aged 5 to 12, found that one-third of kids spend under 30 minutes outside each day.

The short film above reveals how important it is for inmates to have their outdoor time on a daily basis and how surprised they are to learn that kids get even less. The inmates describe daily outdoors time as “probably the most important part of my day... It keeps my mind right, keeps my body strong.”

This new survey reiterates what we’ve been hearing from many different sources – that kids are spending far too much time in the house watching screens, instead of engaging in free play outdoors, using their imaginations and getting dirty. It's unfortunate that it takes a comparison to prison inmates to make us realize how little time outdoors children are experiencing. As one prisoner said:

“I didn’t know what freedom was until it was taken from me. It’s devastating... you can never escape the wall. You can never escape your mind. Then imagine they open your door; you have time to walk out that door and feel the sun on your face. It’s everything to me.”

Whatever the cause of children’s reduction in time outdoors (excessive rigidity in schools; increased time on electronic devices; parental fears about their child’s safety; etc.), experts agree it’s a problem that must be addressed.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past