28 October 2021
I noticed an interesting e-bike as I entered the Belconnen Markets to do our weekly food shopping. An older gentleman was busily putting his groceries into its panniers. As is my garrulous nature, I started up a conversation saying, “Is that an e-bike you’ve got there?”
We got to talking. I learned that he was 89. Although, he didn’t look it. Whilst he was grey-headed, and his facial skin showed some signs of being in the weather, he was very lean and firm of muscle. He proudly told me he had been cycling for over 80 years since his boyhood days when he used to ride near the Rugby fields at Twickenham. This man had a real sparkle in his clear eyes. He seemed to bound with health.
We spoke about his interest in orienteering, and then more recently, bicycle orienteering. But he said he was doing it less these days because of troubles with pain in his heels. I asked if he suffered from Achilles tendonitis. He said, “No. The trouble is in the heel bones. I injured them paragliding.”
“Whoa, paragliding!” I said, “Now that is something I’ve wanted to try for a long time. But I guess I’m getting a bit too old. I’m nearly 70 now.”
“Oh, no. You should still try it. I first started in my 70s.” he replied.
“So did you damage your heels coming in to land a bit hard?” I asked.
He said, “Yes it was as I was taking off. I misjudged the wind. Should’ve waited for a wind gust to pass before I took off. I tried to launch when I shouldn’t, then just as I began gaining height the wind came at an angle over my right shoulder. It collapsed the kite.”
“My thoughts were to choose a bush to land in to soften the fall. But as it turned out there were a lot of new young branches sticking out of a big old stump that was hiding in the middle. My heels hit that stump hard.”
“What happened?”
“I spent nearly 3 months in hospital. My heel bones were shattered into pieces that had to be pinned together. Then physiotherapy to learn how to walk properly again. So now I’m not good at walking long distances.”
When I said that was bad luck, he said, “Ah well, you’ve got to keep on trying new things whilst your still young enough to give ’em a go.”
I told him it was a privilege to meet him.