A bike ride down memory lane

Seniors are getting another chance to feel the wind in their face.

The international program Cycling without Age has made its way to Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries, the owner and operator of two continuing care retirement communities in Madison, Wis.

“We just want people to continue to grow and have new opportunities and dispel the myth that this is where you go to live out your final days,” says Keith Vanlanduyt, Oakwood vice president of marketing and donor relations to Channel3000.

On a recent afternoon, Bob Cole pedals his 101-year-old mom, Florence Cole, and a friend around.

“It’s fun to think that ‘Well, gee, I’m not that old after all. I’m part of what’s going on in the world,” Florence Cole says.

Cyling Without Aging began in Denmark in 2012 with a simple premise: to offer older adults who don’t have the physical ability to enjoy a bike ride. Volunteer pilots give free rides on specially-designed rickshaws.

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.