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I Support
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Name:
Anthony Wayne Pipkin
Home:
Pittsburgh
Birthplace:
Pittsburgh
Age:
44
What I do:
I am currently an assistant principal for Pittsburgh public
schools. Before assuming this leadership role, I taught middle school sci-
ence. That experience sparked an interest in a variety of different activities,
including taking students hiking and skiing as a reward for academic excel-
lence in the classroom. Then, in 2007 I added cycling to my résumé of
outdoor activities when I took 10 students on Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s
Greenway Sojourn. I’ve been cycling ever since.
I am:
An extremely passionate father, grandfather and educator. I try to instill
in all children I have the privilege of working with, including my biological
children, that anything in this world worth having is worth working for. I try
to do the best I can to be a role model who lives up to that expectation.
How I first got involved with RTC and the Sojourn:
While I was an assis-
tant principal at Pittsburgh Faison elementary, I was contacted to see if I
wanted to lead a group of inner-city students and chaperones on the Great
Allegheny Passage from Cumberland, Md., back to Pittsburgh. They were
looking for a unique individual to ride with and help train the students,
and somehow, some way, I fit the bill.
Howmy students and I prepare for the ride:
Getting ready for the ride takes
a lot of work, time and dedication. In the beginning, having no experience
with bike riding or endurance, I purchased a stationary bike for my school
office. The students and I began riding the bike for five minutes to start,
working our way up to 45 minutes. They would come before school, after
school, during their recess or during gym class. Now, the students we take on
the Sojourn are able to train on rail-trails in the downtown Pittsburgh area.
Why students find the ride special and meaningful:
In preparing for and
participating in the ride, the students have so much fun they actually don’t
realize the hard work and dedication they are putting forth in order to be
ready, both physically and mentally. And one thing that always makes the
ride special is the sense of accomplishment we all feel after training and
being able to complete the Sojourn.
A memorable Sojourn moment:
I will never forget the first year I partici-
pated, in 2007, and my fondest memories are of the camaraderie we always
felt on the ride. All of the participants and supporters of the Greenway
Sojourn spoke very highly of my students and welcomed them with open
arms. Everyone worked as one. No matter how you became a part of the
Sojourn, we were all in it together. RTC and all the participants of the
Greenway Sojourn have become a part of my extended family.
Why I support Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Greenway Sojourn:
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the Greenway Sojourn have provided me
with an opportunity to learn, grow and experience things that neither my
inner-city students nor I had the opportunity to do until the day I accepted
being their leader.
Martha Rial