From the classroom to Logan to Jackson: River Heights Elementary teacher Laura Hawley finishes LoToJa bike race in First Place for her age group
Congratulations to Laura Hawley, an art teacher at River Heights Elementary School, for taking first place in her age category of the 202-mile Logan To Jackson (LoToJa) bike race last month. Not only does Hawley excel in her sport, but she uses it as a learning opportunity for her students to show through example the value of hard work and accountability.
“I taught myself to ride a bike when I was seven. I have always loved time on a bike, and the outdoors,” Hawley says. “I started getting consistent with goals and training in March 2018 and was surprised by how much I loved it and how much I could do. I decided to see what was possible for me.”
Hawley loves teaching art and loves being able to share her experiences, goals, and achievements with her students. Her students have seen her medals and pictures, and she even tracks her mileage in her classroom. Every 1,000 miles that she rides, they have a celebration. As of last week, she has totaled 7,278 total miles!
Not only do Hawley’s students support her, but many CCSD employees have also inspired her and motivated her to attain her goals. Hawley joined the Logan Race Club at the invitation of Becca Louviere, a teacher at Sky View High School. Louviere reflects back on Hawley’s time on the team and her recent success at the LoToJa race. “It was fun to see that with each ride, Laura was getting faster and stronger. From those first weeks I rode with Laura, I knew that she would have a successful race. I was right; she did amazing! I feel honored to say that I played a tiny part in introducing her to the team, where she was able to train for her success.” The Logan Race Club has other members from the CCSD family. Hawley acknowledges teacher Greg Nichols and former educators Terry Williams, John Hernandez, and Kara Swensen as regular biking buddies.
Her recent accomplishment of winning for her age group in the LoToJa race was no easy feat. The race spans the distance from Logan all the way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with over 8000 feet of elevation gain. Though it is physically and mentally difficult, Hawley has established a habit of hard work, grit, and accountability. She uses these habits not only to motivate her own success but also to inspire her students to make goals and work hard to achieve them.