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78 y.o. rides 80km/day
After late night in Amsterdam, I didn’t make it for the group ride to Utrecht on Saturday morning. I rode on my own, not very concerned with the route. I had an electric bike and Utrecht was not that far. There was plenty of room for navigation mistakes. 15kms after my departure I passed this man on his bike. We greeted, made small conversation, and I moved on. Something about this man stayed with me for the next 5 Ks. So I stopped by the side of the road, waited for him to pass by, raised my hand and he stopped. His name is Wim Lefeber. We rode together for the next 15 kms and I loved hearing his stories as we pedalled. (shot on mobile phone camera)
Oh wow! I love that vid, Paulo. It was meant to be that you cycled on your own and met up with this man. He looked fantastic for a 78 year old with diabetes who had a few comatose states!
I’m studying a Nutritional Medicine course and I think this is the best awareness program for people of all ages to encourage active and healthy lifestyles!
Thanks for that upload!
Thanks Yo for your comment, and thanks Wim, who may never see this little video, as he does not use internet.
Amazing! It’s always worth stopping a fellow rider to hear their story. Anyone on two wheels is a friend
Lovely little story. Love your ‘noise’ in response to how far he travels per day
Can’t help but note how great the weather is…
Great story Paulo.
Leah, Vanessa and Claire. Thanks for your comments. P
That’s one of the best stories Paulo! And he we have one of the best aspects of a country that has dedicated itself to making cycling a safe, fun mode of transport. All ages can use it.
I must add, when Wim says that he doesn’t cycle for transport, I think there is a Dutch/English translation misunderstanding because from a Dutch perspective he probably thinks, “Do you cycle to transport yourself 40kms from point A to point B.” Wim would almost certainly also cycle in his local neighborhood to the shops, friends etc.
Can I add that in Dutch “transport” is what you do professionally and/or with large or heavy objects, preferably in vans and lorries. Moving just yourself from A to B by bicycle isn’t transport, it’s an efficient alternative to walking (or taking the car).
Thanks Paul and Frits for raising the meaning of “transport”
That’s what I was trying to say Frits
Had to watch it again. That’s my favourite so far. What a cutie.
absolutely fantastic! Yes, a wild night in Amsterdam is often rewarding
True Mark!
Great story! Hurray for mobile phones with a camera!
I’m glad you stopped, Wim is an inspiration!
While it is excellent for a person with diabetes to get lots of exercise, I would not be suggesting to my patients to do this much riding if they are prone to hypoglycaemic coma. If he goes unconscous while riding he is very likely to injure himself, and if he feels wobbly and has to stop he may be somewhere that nobody is available to help him. I would be all in favor of a healthy 78 year old riding like this, but if he is really lapsing into coma he should be riding in his livingroom untill his blood sugars are more stable.
Dr Ben Ewald
Thank you Ben for shedding light into the medical aspects and risks for a person with diabetes and prone to comas riding a bike. I suggest we take this Vlog as an unpretentious, non-scietific record of a great little moment with Wim, a positive 78′er. It is not my intention to put Wim nor his doctor on the spot. In this brief encounter, our conversation happened in English, not Dutch or Portuguese (our mother tongues), and taken his hearing issues, it is possible that the meaning of some of the words, like “transportation” (see comments above) or his doctor’s “special rule”, could have been lost in translation.
what an inspirational story, just beautiful,thankyou for taking the time to stop and talk to him, we can so easily just go by people and we would never hear their story, thanks x