Why shouldn’t elderly people have the opportunity to reap the benefits of cycling? Thanks to an organization that was launched in Norway by Ole Kassow in 2012, they can. Cycling Without Age was founded with the idea of helping people of all ages get back on their bikes and finding a solution for those with limited mobility.
Thus the trishaw – (light, 3 wheeled pedaled vehicle) was introduced and with it, Kassow’s offer of bike rides to the residents in the local nursing home. Following that, he connected with Copenhagen’s civil society consultant Dorthe Pedersen and the two purchased 5 trishaws to begin Cycling Without Age which now exists in 38 countries worldwide.
So what are the main goals of Cycling Without Age? On their website they have their Guiding Principles which in brief can be articulated in these 6 words: Generosity; Slowness; Storytelling; Relationships; Without Age.
And what does that mean? It’s all about kindness, giving others an opportunity they wouldn’t ordinarily have and as such receiving so much more back. Bringing the elderly back into the community is such a gift for everyone as we have so much to learn and benefit from them. We listen to their stories; enjoy their historical perspective on life and get the opportunity to give back to this wonderful demographic that is all too often unnecessarily silenced on some level. New relationships develop through this organization and boundaries we set up that are only obstacle-causing are eliminated.