One Jones County High School senior has quite a lengthy story about what he did on his summer vacation, namely cycling over 3,000 miles.
Diallo Harris started riding at age 10, progressing from a bicycle to a road bike, which led to him becoming a member of the cycling group at Create Inc. Diallo said that group is led by Daylon Martin, who is also a Jones County commissioner. The senior said Create has many activities, but he gravitated toward cycling.
Diallo said he started with Create when he was 5. He said the cycling group has about 25 kids and starts at 12 years old.
Diallo attended his first Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) event right after school let out in June that started in Atlanta and ended in Savannah seven days later. He said the ride went through familiar territory in Milledgeville, and they camped along the way.
That 440-mile trek was just the warmup to the big event that would start a little over a week later in Miami. Diallo’s father Toni is a huge supporter and was a member of the support team for the first event. He said that meant he followed the cyclers with supplies.
During the short respite, Diallo was invited to Allentown, Pa., near Philadelphia, for the 2024 Youth Bike Summit, a three-day event with classes, workshops and information for colleges with cycling programs.
The senior said he is looking for scholarships at a college offering cycling, but there are not a lot.
Diallo was selected to participate in the BRAG Dream Team 30th Anniversary ride, which was an East Coast Greenway Youth Bike Tour. The trek started in Miami June 18, bound for Bangor Maine, 2,300 miles away.
Toni said he did not follow the cyclists this time but met up with the group from time to time during the five-week ride and visited family members who lived along the way.
Diallo chronicled the journey on social media with pictures from every state he visited during the 32-day ride. The cyclist said their day normally started at 9 a.m. and stopped between 6-7 p.m.
Diallo was the only cyclist from the Create group and was accompanied by six other young cyclists from Georgia.
“It was an honor to be selected,” he said.
The cyclist said they camped for two nights and then stayed in a motel for one night during the five-week ride. They rode on bike trails when possible but sometimes had to go through cities.
The recent trip was quite an accomplishment, but cycling is not the only sport in which he excels.
Diallo plays varsity soccer at JCHS and is a member of the Jones County traveling track team. He said in his first year in track he placed third in the state for the 4x4 relay.
Toni said it is very important for young people to stay busy.
“When kids stay still, we’ve seen what happens,” the father said.
