Using a stationary bike, a 91-year-old Red Deer man cycled more than 24,900 miles, which is the distance around the world.
Harold Lehmann, a resident of Points West Living, began this personal challenge two years ago.
“I wanted to prove it could be done. I wouldn’t do it again. It is definitely more than a person should do on foot. If I was younger, this would be an ideal challenge, but at 91 years old, it was hard,” Lehmann said.
While it was fun to do this much cycling, there were times when it was “quite challenging” to find motivation, said Lehmann, who has lived at Points West Living since 2018.
“Only thing is don’t quit when you’re half done, finish to prove your capability. There were times in which I was soaking wet from sweating from cycling, but I never stopped the challenge,” he said.
“It is really fun if you are determined to stay with it. I am getting too old to do it again, as I am 91 years old. And at that age, it truly is a challenge. But maybe when I am 100, I will do another challenge.”
Lehmann said he has never owned a bicycle.
“That may have been more incentive to prove I could do it. When I was old enough to buy a bicycle, I bought a car instead. But this was a lot of fun,” he said.
Delray Dempsey, recreation therapist at Points West Living, said she’s impressed Lehmann was able to complete the challenge.
“I was talking to him a couple of months ago and he pulled out all of his books with every date and how many miles he biked each day. On average, he bikes around 20 miles a day,” said Dempsey.
“He just wants to prove to people that it doesn’t matter how old you are. You can still set goals like that and make them come true.”
Lehmann’s efforts were “awe-inspiring,” Dempsey added.
“It’s super inspirational. This is just something he started to do on his own. It was a goal he had that we didn’t even know about until he showed us,” she said.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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