by Ellen Kurtz
I was so excited when I moved into my new home on the Lumberton Campus of Medford Leas earlier this year. Finally, I was entering the chapter of my life where I could slow down and relax! My new home had a gorgeous sunroom in which I could take afternoon naps, and it had a beautiful view of the meadow where I could enjoy walking my dog Wendy. I had hung my bird feeders and felt at home as many avian friends were already visiting while I sipped my morning coffee. I certainly didn’t seem to miss my previous hectic life of the past decades!
My new neighbors were most welcoming, one even mentioning that I should take my time getting involved in the many available activities, and I was determined to take that advice to heart! I did know I wanted to start working out and the Lumberton fitness trainer, Rick, was great, helping set exercise routines that would meet my goals. He showed me this high-tech CyberCycle, a stationary exercise bike with many programs, a video screen and even levers to steer and improve my cognition!
Little did I know what was around the corner. Uh-oh … I was suddenly caught up by the wave of “March Madness” and boy was I in for a fun ride! This is one SERIOUS competition! “OK,” I cheerfully answered Rick, thinking, by joining the “Cybercycle Madness Challenge,” I could jump start my exercise routine and get to know some folks. THEN, I learned the truth! This competition had FIVE rounds, yes, over F‑I‑V‑E weeks, each round going 48 hours straight. It didn’t sink in at first, but that meant some team members had to ride through the night for two nights!
We succeeded in winning the Qualifying Round against more than 100 teams nationwide. After resting for a week, we glided through the first round of an elimination tournament, the Super Sixteen.
The real challenge came in week three, the Electric Eights. Resident and staff riders pedaled around the clock for two days and through the nights to an amazing win — by only FOUR MILES! Everyone’s mile counted!
I definitely could not have pedaled for a few hours each night without the direct support of teammates, motivation from Rick and Ken and the community cheering for us! We had learned how we were going to support each other and so, like clockwork, Medford Leas won the Fearsome Four and then the 2019 CyberCycle Madness Challenge Championship! Now, I really began to feel part of Medford Leas and its great spirit!
So, finally, I had to admit to myself, I’ve never been one to slow down and just relax… anyway, why would I want to when I was having so much fun? I have the months until the next challenge to take my afternoon naps!
