KAUKAUNA, Wis. (WFRV) – Entering its fourth year, Kaukauna High School hosted its annual Breaking Boundaries Triathlon, which allows students with disabilities to partake in swimming, biking, and running.

The event kicked off with an all-school send-off and began at the Heart of the Valley YMCA for the swimming portion.

To ensure safety and success during the race, students had the opportunity to complete the race with a mentor or staff member who helped guide them through the course.

After swimming at the YMCA, the students then trekked to The Recylclist on a bicycle before running the rest of the way back to the finish line at the Bank of Kaukauna Stadium.

Local 5 News caught up with Jill Lotzer, Work-Based Learning & Transition Coordinator at Kaukauna High School, who says this event is one of the most important ones throughout the school year.

“This event knows no boundaries,” explained Lotzer. “We have students of all abilities that are participating, so we have athletes and peer mentors alike that are going to be participating. It’s just a great way for them to get to know one another [and] to break barriers.”

Kaukauna High School invited students from both Kimberly and Little Chute High Schools to participate in the event this year, making it one of the most memorable in its history.

“Having that opportunity to be able to cross that finish line and earn a medal for their hard work and to be celebrated in their community is pretty amazing,” added Lotzer.

Lotzer continued to tell Local 5 News that the school hopes this event continues in the future, and Kaukauna has unveiled a banner that they’ll be hanging next to all the other state banners to commemorate the event.

The Kaukauna School District posted several photos of the event on its Facebook page. To check out more highlights of the event, click here.