In honor of Father’s Day, I thought it would be fitting to share with you the reason why my dad has been such an inspiration to me lately.
Here’s a picture of my dad after our 26 mile bike ride together yesterday.
About 7 years ago both of my parents were hit by a drunk driver while riding my dad’s Harley motorcycle on vacation. Getting that phone call in the middle of the night was one of the scariest of my life and I was SO thankful that both of my parents were alive and would be alright.
My dad suffered from a very badly broken foot and leg…so bad that when he first saw a doctor after the intitial period of being in the hospital, the doctor said that had it been him to first see my dad, he would have chosen to amputate the leg.
My dad has had multiple surgeries and two knee replacements. Most often he uses an electric chair and for shorter periods he can walk with the use of a cane.
I’ve seen my dad suffer through a lot of pain and I’ve also been concerned for his health, weight gain and inability to exercise.
A few years ago, the idea of bicyling came up as a good possible exercise for my parents and also something fun that they can do while traveling in their RV for the winters. My dad discovered that he could ride a crank forward style bike (or sometimes called pedal forward).
This winter, I stayed in my parents house while they traveled to North Carolina in their RV. My dad was keeping me updated about his bicycling and weight loss. (He has lost over 25 lbs.) Recently I was very fortunate to find a great used bike myself and happy to get back into a routine.
My dad said that he would go biking with me but was concerned that he’d not be able to keep pace with me.
I used to ride a lot but it has been awhile and is something I’m getting back into now to deal with my current weight gain.
I’ve been surprised and inspired while riding with my dad these past few weeks. I’ve been battling my own hurdles with REALLY getting back on track with eating and exercise so the fact that my dad has been a motivating factor to me is amazing and wonderful.
I found myself going up a very steady and steep incline behind my dad the other day. I told him that had I not been looking ahead to see him powering to the top, I probably would have gotten off to walk.
I’m very fortunate to have the summer here in Michigan with both my parents before I head out for some travels. The 3-4 bike rides a week that I’ve been doing with my dad have been such an amazing blessing. It’s a great time for chatting and it is truly helping me with my own weight loss efforts.
I see my dad at the most fit he’s been in years. He is happier and seems much more confident since his accident.
Yesterday we rode 26 miles on our bikes together and I was so inspired and proud to be riding with my dad.
That’s why my dad is my current fitness hero.
I love you dad. Happy Father’s Day! 🙂
P.S. Here are a few other posts about my dad/parents:
36 to 40: Speaking of My Father…
30 to 40: In Appreciation of Good Parents
In this post there is a picture of me dancing with my dad that I LOVE! 🙂
23 to 40: Confessions of a High School Prom Queen
I would love to hear from you…
In the comments, please tell me about your own fitness hero. Also feel free to pay tribute to your father. I’d love for you to share.
