I’ve done my fair share of long distance cycling and I’ve often said that I want to keep cycling as long as I possibly can. One of the things I’ve said that I’d love to do is cycle around Australia once I retire. I’m not sure that Pauline will be willing to follow me around in her car as support on the road but I can dream.
Aussie cyclist, Jack Griffin, is a fairly good example to look to if I need some inspiration.
Acording to ABC News, Jack is getting ready to cycle the 1 680 kilometre distance from Brisbane to Cairns. That’s over 90 kilometres a day. At 85 years of age Jack has around 40 years head start on me. You can read the full details of the story by clicking here.
He says he will be setting a record for being the oldest person to complete such a feat.
“People say ‘why are you doing this at 85?’ and I say ‘well I can’t do it when I’m dead, can I?’,” he told ABC News Online.
And he has even forked out $11,000 on the same bike Lance Armstrong owns to do the journey.
“What else am I going to spend my money on?” he laughed.
Jack should know what he’s up against with the ride. This is not his first long distance event.
But this isn’t Jack’s first long trek; the first time he rode around Australia, in 1985, he was 61 and it took him 100 days.
But Jack couldn’t get enough. The father of two, who was a hairdresser in the Air Force for more than three decades, did the same ride again in 1992 and then again in 1996, he got the ride down to 80 days.
In 1999, the International Year of Older Persons, he rode from Tweed Heads to Canberra – 1,034 kilometres in eight days – and had dinner with then prime minister John Howard.
As I’ve mentioned here before, I’ve cycled across Australia five times as well as taking on several rides in Western Australia, riding twice in India and once in Canada. I’m also organising a fund raising ride for October this year, but more about that later.
The difference is that I’m still a relatively young man. (At least I like to think that I am.)
I wonder how much cycling I’ll be doing when I reach 85 ….. or even if I’ll reach 85.
I guess it’s not just the fact that Jack is cycling long distances at the age of 85, it’s the fact that he’s still out there living life to the full. I’ve known too many people less than half Jack’s age who’ve already given up on living a full life.
Whatever threatens to hold you down, it’s time to use jack as inspiration and fully embrace life. You may not be able to ride the sort of distance that Jack does, but make yourself a promise to meet life and its challenges head on then get out and take advantage of every moment God gives you.
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