Slowing Down But Not About To Stop
When I arrived at Dave Sanderson’s home in Rincon for our interview, he was dressed for biking. His blue jersey had “Bicycle Ride Across Georgia” written on the front of it, and a red racing type bicycle was close to the front door.
Sanderson told me that before I arrived he had been watching the Tour de France on television, which is the world’s most grueling, month long bicycle race. He talked about Lance Armstrong, who despite battling cancer, has won the race seven times. He gave me details on Armstrong’s position, strategy, and the rigors of the race, and said he hopes Armstrong wins again, for the eighth time. His admiration for Armstrong’s talents and efforts was easily apparent.
“I once rode with Lance Armstrong,” he said, and he showed me an autographed picture of Armstrong riding in a race.
It’s clear that Sanderson’s life is intertwined with serious bike riders – those who race and those who ride ten to a hundred miles a day and call it “recreational riding”! But it hasn’t always been that way.
When Sanderson turned 65 he became blind in one eye, and he had cataract surgery to hopefully correct it. The surgery was successful. He regained his sight, but with this good news came some bad – his doctor told him that the degeneration in his eye was caused by diabetes, a disease for which there is no cure. Doctor’s orders were that he would have to exercise regularly and control his diet to keep his diabetes in check.
Sanderson is a pro-active person, and he didn’t wait for further complications to arise before taking action to control his disease. He began the Atkins Low Carb Diet and an intense bicycle riding program.
Bike riding was his immediate choice for exercise even though he hadn’t ridden a bicycle much since grade school. So why did he decide to begin a bike riding workout? – simply because he just happened to have one in his garage. Ironically, when he and his wife, Virginia, had lived in Houston, Texas they had entered a drawing and won two mountain bikes. They rode them a few times, but then stored them in the garage where the bikes were apparently forgotten. The old adage to “keep something because you may need it someday” certainly worked in his favor.
His actions showed results. In six months he went from 235 to 185 pounds, and his diabetes was in check. It wasn’t his plan to be a serious biker. He just wanted to control his diabetes, and in the beginning his bike rides were mainly around his apartment building’s parking lot.
Shortly after, he rode his bicycle in the Tour de Cure, a bike riding event in Savannah to raise money for The American Diabetes Association. “I saw all these guys in fancy clothes, riding bicycles with skinny tires, and I wanted one. And I told my wife, ‘I need a new bicycle,’ and she said ‘You already have a bicycle.’” Well, we know where that conversation was going, but he got a new bicycle, and it was the second of four he has owned so far. Since then, his bike riding has kept him healthy, and it has led him on adventures that most people his age would not begin to take.
He joined a biking club in Savannah, and on a ride to Wilmington Island he couldn’t ride his bike across the bridge- he had to get off and walk it across. Soon after he joined a gym to improve the strength in his arms and legs.
His biking soon became serious. He pushed himself to ride further and faster in recreational rides as well as competitions.
One of his most memorable biking events was participating in the National Senior Games. They were held at Disney in Orlando where 10,000 competed. He had to qualify for the event at the state level by competing in 5K and 10K time trials, and only the top four qualified for the nationals.
At the time, he was 75 years old, pumped up and ready to win. “It was the fastest 10K I’d ever done,” he recounts with excitement, “and some skinny guy from South Florida beat me by four minutes. He had shaved his eyebrows, his arms, and his legs! He wore one of those teardrop shaped helmets and his shoes were taped. He was all leaned over his bike………he shot by the rest of us like a bullet!”
Well, Sanderson may still be disappointed that “the skinny guy from South Florida” won the race, but it’s obvious that the retelling of it always brings great pleasure to him, just as many of his biking memories have.
He also told me the story of when he traveled to Austin, Texas to participate in Lance Armstrong’s “Ride for the Roses”. This is a one day biking event to raise money for the American Cancer Society – 8,000 bike riders participated. Sanderson’s wife had died from lung cancer, and this was his way to help raise money for research.
For the event, Sanderson had raised $2,700, and in appreciation, he was given the autographed picture of Armstrong. He was also given a jersey and a messenger bag, which he uses as his briefcase. Both carry the “Lance Armstrong Foundation” insignia. Perhaps they will be inspiration one day when it’s needed.
Sanderson rode 25 miles in the event that day and hoped to meet Armstrong, but it didn’t happen. “I waited in a tent for over an hour where he was supposed to come, but I didn’t get to see him,” he said with disappointment. He was silent for a moment, perhaps contemplating a champion’s efforts, and not recognizing his own.
In addition to participating in biking events, Sanderson has also organized them, and for a couple of years he also organized and led five-day Florida biking tours. He just doesn’t seem to run out of energy.
The Florida tours were enjoyable, and one father and son who rode tandem on the tour were unforgettable. “The son was autistic; he couldn’t speak,” said Sanderson When we’d be eating out, he’d sit at the table and just rock back and forth.
Everyone was real nice to him. I had a big trophy made, and I gave it to him on the last night of the tour. It said “Honor Rider of the Week”. When I presented it, the father cried. They were real happy with it, and we’re still good friends.” He quietly contemplated the memory and said thoughtfully, “That father drove with his son all the way from Massachusetts and back.” Again, he was silent for a moment, perhaps contemplating a father’s efforts, and not recognizing his own.
It’s been sixteen years since Sanderson began his biking journeys – he’s now 81. “I’ll be 82 on November 13,” he tells me. Just as little kids are excited about getting older so they can do more things, Sanderson is happy about getting older and still doing things he loves.
“Does bicycling get harder as you get older?” I ask.“No, it’s not harder, you just get slower,” he replies, “and that’s the reason I don’t ride with a bike club anymore – they’re faster than me.” But that doesn’t keep him from riding.
“I ride about ten miles a day, several days a week, and on weekends I ride 15 to 20 miles. My goal is 30 to 50 miles a week,” he says. That’s not bad for someone 81 years young, but then, he used to average 100 miles a week – but that was when he was only in his seventies!
Sanderson seems to be one in a million, but he has some “biking buddies” who also go along for the ride. The youngest of the group is Ed Jewell, also of Rincon – he’s only 70. “He’s married to his bicycle,” says Sanderson, “He rides 10,000 miles a year!” Harry Hutson lives in Sun City – he’s 82, and Pat Mango lives on The Landings – he’s 91! His goal is to win the National Senior Finals in his age division, even if he has to outlive his competitors to do it! Now there’s another story!
Loading... 