Indiana Jones and 87-year-old Kenneth Borow might be miles apart in terms of their careers, the places they’ve been, and the fact that Indiana Jones is a fictional character while Kenneth is a very real resident of the luxury senior community Wellington Bay—but they do share one thing in common (besides rugged good looks): the belief that in life, it’s not the years that matter, but the mileage.
For his birthday each year, Kenneth celebrates by riding his bicycle the number of miles he’s turning. This year, he rode 87 miles throughout Palm Beach County—roughly the equivalent of cycling to Port St. Lucie and back.
Kenneth’s journey inspired Wellington Bay’s Director of Business Development, Dana Ray. For her 54th birthday, Dana set a personal challenge of riding 54 miles.
“When Kenneth told me about his most recent birthday ride, it inspired me to set a personal goal: riding 54 miles for my own birthday. I plan on riding on Sunday, October 26,” she said. “We have such a vibrant, active lifestyle at Wellington Bay, and I hope Kenneth’s story will inspire others who may not think they can accomplish such goals.”
Dana completed her ride through the Village of Wellington.
“The highlights were riding through Wellington Preserve Park and the Aero Club. I finished through Wellington Bay to get a picture with Ken, and then the ride to my house put me at 54.78 miles. The ride took a total of 4 hours and 55 minutes,” Dana said. “I hope between Ken and me, we can inspire everyone to ‘bike your age’ on your birthday! It’s definitely going to be a new tradition for me, and I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.”
Setting goals paired with physical activity is an important part of staying mentally and physically fit.
As we age, our bodies naturally slow down and our joints begin to wear, with osteoarthritis affecting more than half of Americans over the age of 80. But activities like cycling can help.
“Staying active will help keep the knee joint moving, improve strength, and reduce pain, allowing you to ease some of the side effects of arthritis,” said Dr. Jonathan Shaw, a local hip and knee orthopedic surgeon at the Palm Beach Orthopaedic Institute. “Living with knee arthritis can be challenging, but staying active is key to managing the condition. Movement like bicycle riding helps maintain joint flexibility, reduces stiffness, and alleviates pain, which ultimately improves your quality of life.”
