110. Living life to the fullest: He's 80 and cycling from Alaska to Panama
Imagine riding a bike from Alaska to Panama. Now imagine performing this grueling feat as an 80-year-old! Such a trek is not for the faint of heart, but adventure cyclist Bob Fletcher proves that it can be done with the right mindset, regardless of age. His goal is to break the existing world record for the longest journey on a motorized bicycle – and break existing stereotypes about seniors.
With his motorized bike or “eBike,” Bob rides with chargeable batteries that can provide a 50% boost in power when needed. This makes it easier to bike mountains and other types of rugged terrain on his journey. He often begins biking at 8:30 or 9 a.m. and continue until sometime between 5 and 7 p.m. Typically, he bikes during the week and enjoys rest days at Airbnbs, while meeting people and enjoying local communities along the way.
Bob also bikes for a cause: He’s raising money for Christmas presents for children in Panama, just in time for his December arrival at his final destination. That is, until he starts back up again to bike down South America!
Bob Fletcher is living proof that anyone can get out of their comfort zone and try new things. If you believe you can do something, you can, whether you’re 30 years old or 80 years old.
Topics discussed:- Bike riding- Electric bikes- Staying active as we age- Active seniors- Inspirational seniors- Mindset- Finding purpose as we age- Cycling over 80
Takeaways from this episode:- You can do whatever you set your mind to. If you believe you can’t do anything in your older age, you’ll prove yourself right.- Seniors can do anything: They can get involved, they can learn something new, and they can get out of their comfort zone and perform incredible feats.- The current record for the longest journey made on a motorbike is 8,400 kilometers – and Bob, at age 80 is on kilometer 9,000 right now, with only 2,000 more to go.- Electric bikes are popular in Europe, but it’s a great way to travel with a boost. You can activate a battery to get assistance on hills, then charge up the batteries at nighttime.
Resources mentioned:Follow and support Bob’s journey at https://octoodyssey.com/
https://www.instagram.com/octoodyssey/
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