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82-Year-Old Bicyclist Is Hard To Catch

HUNT VALLEY, Md. (WJZ) -- There are 41 million retirees now in America.  Health officials say those who are active stay healthier than those who aren't.

As Mike Schuh reports, one retiree in Hunt Valley is hard to keep up with.

Be lucky enough to reach a certain age, and you may need wheels to help you get around.

Not yet for Ruth Fleishman.

Now 82, a year ago she moved into the Broadmead retirement community. One of her prized possessions is a bike.

"I encourage people to get up off the sitting position and move," she said.

Since retirement, she's ridden across Maryland 10 times.  Every day, she's out on the road circling her house. It's exactly a mile and she will do five laps.

She, by far, rides more miles than any of the other residents.

Fleishman wasn't always a cyclist.  She and her husband Lee didn't even begin cycling until just before they retired.

Fleishman got the bike when she was 65, and it's estimated she's put on thousands of miles.

Exercise, walking and talking, plus three kids --one nearing retirement himself -- is keeping Fleishman busy and alive.

WJZ tried to follow Ruth Fleishman in an electric cart, but she left the news team in her dust.

So, there is a lesson. No matter your age, keep moving if you can.

Ruth Fleishman is just six months away from her 83rd birthday.

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