With the same agility as his 16-year-old granddaughter, Leon Green rode his bicycle past hillsides and rural roads during the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic over the weekend.
At 80, the Chewelah, Wash., resident is one of the oldest cyclists (the oldest was 90) to ride the 202-mile route that wrapped up Sunday at Holladay Park in northeast Portland.
“It’s emotionally gratifying,” Green said. “At this point in my life, it’s a sense of achievement. Any day I get up and I’m vertical, I’m blessed to do anything to maintain that status.”
Green’s son, Michael Green, 52, and grandaughter, Maddie Green, both of Woodland, joined him for the second time — their first family STP was in 2011.
Ten thousand registered cyclists began their journey Saturday in downtown Seattle. Some pedalled through Longview later that day, but most headed across the Lewis and Clark Bridge on Sunday.
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The most difficult part of the journey, Green said, were the hills — but there was no challenge that riding in a lower gear couldn’t fix.
“It’s a long ride,” said Leon, a colon cancer survivor. “But to me, being on a bike is a time to reflect and look around and be grateful that I’m able to be here and do that.”
Green, a part-time manager for an ambulance service, said he has plenty of time to train and ride recreationally. His son said that despite his age, he’s as fit as ever and is capable of riding the long course without much rest.
“The nice thing for my daughter and me was we lost him somewhere in Centralia, so we actually got to take a 20-minute break while we were waiting for him to catch up,” Michael Green said.
Michael Green serves as superintendent for the Woodland School District, and he said finding time to train was more difficult for him and his daughter, but STP was more about having fun and spending time with his family.
“It’s one of those unique opportunities. It’s fun to do something and look back and say we did that as a three-generation ride,” the six-time STP participant said.
The event can be challenging, but Michael Green said the scenery more than makes up for the difficulties.
“It’s beautiful countryside. The thing that went through my mind is how beautiful Mount Rainier is above Lake Washington,” he said. “You tune out any tiredness, and the STP is such a well-supported ride. You’re taken care of.”
Michael Green said he and Maddie haven’t decided yet whether they’ll ride next year, but Leon Green said the 2013 STP — his third — will be his final major ride.
“It’s kind of a tough ride. There’s a lot of people, so there’s a challenge,” he said.
Maddie Green said it was a great bonding experience to share the ride with her father and grandfather.
“It’s really gratifying and exciting, and it was a really great experience the first time,” she said.
