Richard Winkler’s competitive nature recently led him to victory in a CyberCycle competition during which he peddled 1,118.3 miles to be named the top overall rider and win all-tournament honors.
Winning wasn’t easy, said the 90-year-old resident at the Covenant Village of Turlock continuing care retirement community in Turlock, CA. The competition was down to the wire against a woman in her 60s from Pennsylvania.
“For me to keep my mileage and distance going, I had to cycle all night long for two nights,” Winkler said. “I stayed up two nights in a row peddling to try and stay ahead.”
The CyberCycle Madness Competition started with more than 1,114 riders of all ages from across the country. Each rider cycled for a 48-hour session each week for four weeks. The overall goal was to complete as many miles as possible within the 48 hours.
Winkler says last year he took fourth place overall in the competition, and he was determined to improve this year. Riders are able to see distances of their competitors, so he knew what he needed to do to win.
“It really was neck-and-neck in the competition, and I guess I finally out-maneuvered her in total mileage,” he said. “I really didn’t have much energy left, but I did what I needed to do to win this year.”
When he’s not pedaling away on the CyberCycle, Winkler participates in water aerobics and other fitness classes at Covenant Village.
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