I recently returned from a trip to West Oxfordshire, England for a very special event that I dare say is always the highlight of my year. My dear friend Michael’s father Harry is turning 87 this year and each year we gather somewhere over several days (Vermont, San Francisco, Philadelphia) and cycle his age in miles. This began 17 years ago when he was 70 and this year we had 16 riders including Harry!! At 87 he still rides 500 miles a month when he is at home, albeit on an e-bike now – to keep up with us youngsters on the hills. He travels the world regularly, with his wife Debbie, to destinations like Australia, Africa and most recently to the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. Additionally, he is a voracious reader and is still sharp as a tack mentally – a fact that he credits 100% to his fitness regimen, which also includes daily stretching and a bit of calisthenics. He even wrote a book about it called “Fitness Beyond 50” which you can find on Amazon.
Harry is truly an inspiration to all who know him and one of my personal heroes. As the years go by and he adds more miles to his journey, it becomes ever clearer to me that age is just a number, as long as you keep moving. His story is not just about fitness but a testament to living life with purpose and determination. Harry embodies the idea that the best way to stay youthful is simple – never stop. Never stop learning, never stop exploring, and never stop pushing yourself. In a world that often views aging as a decline (just read some of the rhetoric surrounding it during this presidential
election cycle), Harry proves it can indeed be bountiful. Be like Harry.
