ST. CLOUD, Fla. — As he prepares to relocate halfway around the world this fall, St. Cloud teacher Zachary Smith is taking on a different kind of challenge close to home — running 13.1 miles in the Florida summer heat to help support children he says have already changed his life.
Smith is scheduled to compete in the Heatwave Half Marathon in the Orlando area on July 18 as part of a personal fundraising effort benefiting Feeding Dreams Cambodia, a nonprofit organization that provides free education and support services to children living in underserved communities in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
A TEFL-certified English teacher, Smith plans to move to Cambodia on Oct. 1, where he will volunteer full-time with the organization for at least one year.
The upcoming race marks the beginning of what Smith hopes will be a long-term commitment to helping children gain access to education and opportunities that can help break the cycle of poverty.
Feeding Dreams Cambodia serves more than 900 children by providing free English instruction, computer education, accredited math and life skills classes, sports, arts programs, and basic medical care. The nonprofit also provides daily nutritious meals and clean drinking water to students, addressing food insecurity that affects many families in the region.
Smith said his previous experience teaching at the school left a lasting impression.
“From the first morning assembly, I understood what makes Feeding Dreams Cambodia extraordinary,” Smith shared. “Hundreds of students lined up with an energy I couldn’t quite describe—not because they had to be there, but because they genuinely wanted to be.”
He described being welcomed by smiling students eager to learn, many greeting him with traditional gestures of respect, high-fives, and hugs before heading into class.
“These kids are brilliant, motivated, and full of joy,” Smith said. “Teaching them was like nothing I had ever felt before, and I walked home after every session with a full heart.”
Smith said those experiences inspired him to return for a longer period of volunteer service, where he hopes to continue teaching English and supporting the students and their families.
Before departing for Cambodia, however, he’ll test his own endurance in the July 18 half marathon, using the race as a way to raise awareness for the educational opportunities and resources provided by the nonprofit.
While preparing for the 13.1-mile race during one of Florida’s hottest months, Smith says his motivation remains focused on the children he plans to serve when he arrives in Cambodia this fall.
Photo courtesy of GoFundMe.
