SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Ashley Wooten never even broke a sweat.

The Spanish Fort Middle School eighth-grader — who never bothered to change from her khaki uniform pants into gym shorts — kept pace with SFMS Principal Craig Ross lap for lap during Friday’s “training day” for the upcoming Ironman Jr. Youth Triathlon.

By the close of the physical-education class, Wooten and Ross had circled the makeshift, .2-mile track outside the gym 22 times, or nearly 4 1/2 miles.

With two classes to go, Wooten tied seventh-grader Javon Brown for the record.

Ross, who is training for the Nov. 28 Ironman triathlon in Cozumel, Mexico, agreed to run alongside students who solicited per-lap sponsorships and flat donations toward the construction of a special-needs playground. SFMS serves as the middle-school Project Reach locale for all Baldwin County students.

“(Ross) runs like 15 miles a day, so this is nothing for him,” said parent and SFMS PTA member Ladonna Stough as she handed out water to students as they whizzed by. A nearby public-address system blared songs such as Saliva’s “Ladies and Gentlemen” and Queen’s “We are the Champions” to help keep the pace upbeat.

PTA President Teri Fisher said final tallies for the fundraiser won’t be available until pledge sheets are collected and submitted Oct. 22, but several other organizations have caught wind of the project and are offering support.

For instance, the PTA netted about $600 selling Southern Belle T-shirts during Rockwell Elementary School’s recent fall festival and plan to repeat during Spanish Fort Elementary School’s Oct. 30 festival. Proceeds will be donated to the cause, Fisher said.

The estimated cost of constructing a special-needs playground falls between $50,000 and $60,000.

Ross, who was averaging four miles per class on Friday, had hit the halfway mark by lunchtime and said he was really moved by how seriously so many of the students were taking the fundraiser.

“I just want them to walk away from all of this knowing they played a huge role in making (the playground) happen. It’s not just for the Project Reach students.

“It’s a source of pride for everybody,” Ross said.

He told students at the outset of the jaunt to shoot for 15 laps because that equals the three miles. The Oct. 23 youth triathlon at the Daphne YMCA will only require a 1-mile run, but it also includes a 50-yard swim and a 3-mile bike ride.

By lunchtime Friday, sixth-graders averaged between 13 and 14 laps and a few seventh-grade standouts eclipsed 20 laps, setting a serious bar for the eighth-graders to achieve.

Wooten, however, said it was easy.

“It was fun,” she said.

Ironman Jr. Youth Triathlon

Who: Any child, age 8-15

When: 8 a.m. Oct. 23

Where: Daphne YMCA

Why: To help raise funds for the middle school special-needs children of Baldwin County. Proceeds will be used to build a playground for these students.

Distances: 50-yard swim; 3-mile bike ride; 1-mile run

Entry fee: $20 (please make check payable to Spanish Fort Middle School)

Entry forms: Available at the SFMS front desk or at www.spanishfortmiddle.com.

Completed forms and entry fees can be submitted to Spanish Fort Middle School, 33899 Jimmy Faulkner Drive, Spanish Fort, AL 36527

Coming in Oct. 22’s The Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun: a closer look at what goes on inside Spanish Fort Middle’s Project Reach classroom.