Older adults fulfill their dreams with round-island motorbike trip

Older adults fulfill their dreams with round-island motorbike trip

2022-12-08

Have you ever thought of chasing a dream before you feel too old to do so? Since 2007, the Hongdao Senior Citizen’s Welfare Foundation has been holding motorbike trips around Taiwan for adults aged 60 and up. In 2012, the foundation released a documentary called "Go Grandriders," featuring the stories of 17 older adults who embarked on the round-island motorcycle trip. FTV reporter Stephany Yang caught up with two of them to find out more about their life-changing journey.

"Go Grandriders" is a documentary that follows the story of 17 older adults, with a median age of 81, who embarked on a 730-mile, 13-day motorcycle trip around Taiwan. Of the 17 participants, two were cancer survivors and eight had coronary diseases. All 17 had some degree of joint degeneration. Despite their condition, they weren’t deterred from going on the ride. Two of the riders that went on the trip were Chang Hung-tao and Chang Chen Ying-mei, who were 70 and 71 years old at the time.

Chang Chen Ying-mei
Rider
This activity is really meaningful for older people like us. Before we went, they told us to do some balance exercises. We had to balance a book on top of our heads, which got some people eliminated. The organizers were very careful. They hired some volunteers and some people to accompany us. There was a car in the front and a bus in the back. If you were tired, you could ride the bus. If you travel by car, you can only see the sights from a small window. But by riding a motorcycle, you can see a panoramic view. You can see the mountains, water, bridges, sky, and sea.

Chang Hung-tao
Rider
I think it was very adventurous. On the right is the sea. If you’re not careful, you may accidentally fall into a deep hole, into the sea. On the left, it’s all big rocks. I was nervous, but it was very thrilling. I also saw the kindness of Taiwanese people, which was very touching.

Now, the two are 86 and 87 years old. Although the trip was 15 years ago, they still remember it as if it were yesterday. They say they are happy to have been able to fulfill their lifelong dream of a round-island trip of Taiwan. The event also opened up other opportunities for them, such as traveling to the U.S. for a road trip in 2013.

Chang Chen Ying-mei
Rider
We rode from San Francisco to Los Angeles. It was Route 9, the most beautiful one. In the past, I hardly left the house. I am very happy. I used to ride a bike, but now I’ll ride a motorcycle.

Chang Hung-tao
Rider
I think that we should walk a straight path in our lives, and not look right or left. We should concentrate on the path that should be taken, and not take the wrong path. I was very touched by this event. I met these people and fulfilled dreams in my life. I think it is very meaningful.

Since 2007, the Hongdao Welfare Foundation has held the round-island ride to encourage older adults to chase their dreams and enhance the public’s views and attitudes towards aging. So far, the event has been held 11 times, with more than 350 participants. In 2012, the association released the documentary short film "Go Grandriders," which follows their journey.

Lee Lo-chi
Hongdao Senior Citizen’s Welfare Foundation
After the film was released, it topped the box office as a documentary and even had the opportunity to be shown in Hong Kong, South Korea, and the U.S. A good event can change the life of an older adult, a family, and a community. If you want to create a bigger impact, films can really convey the message. We now see that Taiwanese people view older adults very positively. Compared to 10 years ago, there’s been very good progress.

Hua Tian-hao
Director
The journey around the island is a bit like the journey of life. You may think that older people cannot move around, but in fact, during the process of filming, I discovered that older people can do a lot more than everyone thinks. Even grandparents can accomplish a round-island trip. The purpose of this film is to encourage older adults to do what they like. Some participants from the ride even climbed Yushan. It gave them the confidence to do things they thought they would be unable to achieve.

The foundation held a press conference for the 10th anniversary of the movie’s release, inviting the riders to share their stories. They hope to inspire more older adults to continue to chase their dreams.