Teen Triathlete Builds Free Bike Program for Kids in Georgia and Beyond

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Jonathan Thai. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Jonathan Thai’s parents came to the United States as refugees from the Vietnam War, starting from nothing in a completely new country. As they raised Jonathan, they passed on a simple lesson: help others, because they knew firsthand what it meant to need it.

Jonathan took it to heart. The 17-year-old rising senior from Alpharetta, Georgia, is the founder and executive director of Pedal Forward — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free bike training camps and equipment to children who might otherwise be unable to learn to ride.

The spark came in January 2025, when REI shut down its Experience program, eliminating the bike training classes many families in his area relied on. Jonathan saw a gap and filled it. Since hosting his first official camp in June 2025, Pedal Forward has held 12 clinics, trained more than 350 children, raised over $30,000 and donated 400 bikes and 500 helmets thanks to partnerships Jonathan has built with the National Charity League and the Young Men’s Service League. The organization has since expanded to chapters in Tennessee and New York, and Jonathan is now preparing to take Pedal Forward global — leading a humanitarian trip to donate 300+ bikes to children in rural Vietnam.

What inspired you to start Pedal Forward?

Growing up, I volunteered with my parents, and it showed me how little actions can have a big impact. Something like biking might just look recreational at first glance. But it can have such a big impact for a family that doesn’t have access to transportation — getting to school, getting groceries, getting to a job. And then there’s just letting kids be kids. Staying active and playing outside are things a lot of people take for granted. When REI shut down its training programs and those families lost access to safe bike instruction, I knew I could help.

Why is biking so personal to you?

Outside of my volunteer work, I’m very involved and passionate about sports. I race internationally for triathlon with Team USA and I’m the captain of both my high school’s swim and cross-country teams. And cycling has always been a big part of my life, especially because it was a place where my dad and I could bond. We’d go on rides together on the Greenway Trail — the same trail where I now hold my bike camps. If you asked me to describe the feeling of learning to ride a bike for the first time, I’d say freedom, or empowering, or boundless. I wanted to give that feeling to as many kids as I could, especially those who might be held back by financial circumstances or other barriers.

What happens at one of your bike training camps?

We have about 35 to 40 kids at each camp, and we try to maintain a one-to-one ratio of kids to volunteer. When kids register, they note their experience level and whether they have a bike. If they don’t have one, we provide it — and either way, we fit every child to a properly sized bike and helmet.
Kids who don’t know how to pedal yet start with the pedals removed, so they can focus on balance first. Once they’ve got that, we put the pedals back on. The more experienced riders get taken out on the Greenway Trail with our lead instructors, many of whom are my teammates from my triathlon team. The last hour is games — red light green light for braking, cone weaving for bike handling and bike limbo with pool noodles for spatial awareness. At the end, every child who came without a bike and helmet gets to take them home.

Is there a child from one of your camps who has stuck with you?

There was a boy named Jesse who came to a camp we held for Hispanic Heritage Month in partnership with the City of Roswell. There was a language barrier, so I couldn’t communicate with him as well as I usually would. By the end of the camp, I honestly wasn’t sure how it had gone for him. I felt a little guilty, like maybe I hadn’t done enough.

Then I read the testimonials. His mom had written one — in Spanish, so I had to translate it — and she said that right after the camp ended, Jesse went to the park and kept riding for hours on the bike he’d received. That really sparked something in me. Even in the moments where you feel like you came up short, there’s impact happening that you can’t always see.

Tell us about Pedal for Vietnam.

This is the biggest thing Pedal Forward has taken on so far. In June, we’re traveling to Vietnam to donate 308 bikes to children across four villages in rural areas. We’re working with the Vietnam Foundation of the USA and Australia and a nonprofit called Care2Share to purchase and distribute the bikes within Vietnam. A lot of these kids walk four to seven miles to school every day through mountainous terrain, including during rainy season. So, if we can help these students access education easier, imagine the impact that these kids will have on society.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own nonprofit?

Start small, get out there and connect with the people you serve. The food pantries and distribution organizations I volunteered with as a kid with my parents are the same ones I partner with today through Pedal Forward. Those early relationships led to connections with NCL, YMSL and community leaders who had the resources to help bring my dreams to life.

What do you hope people take away from your story?

The small things that you might not think have much effect have more impact on families and communities than you realize. If you teach one kid how to ride, maybe they go on to teach other kids. Maybe they start something of their own. Everything has a ripple effect. If you do what you’re passionate about — and you do it authentically, for the betterment of society — it’ll have more impact on the world than you might ever expect.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Jonathan? Find local volunteer opportunities.