Grandriders on the road again for 10-day round-the-island tour
Grandriders on the road again for 10-day round-the-island tour
2024-07-14
In 2007, a group of older adults known as the Grandriders broke onto the scene, shattering stereotypes with their scooter adventures. This year, they hit the road again for a 10-day round-the-island trip. Leading the pack is Kuo Shen-sen, a centenarian who proves that age is just a number. The youngest rider is 65-year-old Chiu Chi-hsing, who’s tackling the challenge with a prosthetic leg and a will of steel. We join them on the journey in our Sunday special report.
It’s March 2024, and 29 senior citizens are gathered here with a shared dream. Their average age is 75. Some are hard of hearing, others are cancer survivors. Some of them are living with heart stents. Despite their physical limitations, they’re ready to embark on a 10-day, 1,175-kilometer adventure that will take them around the island.
The 29 Grandriders have trained long and hard for this day, even going on a 120-kilometer test ride one month earlier.
Their helmets and scooters are numbered for easy identification. This way, volunteers can keep track of the group throughout the trip. Today, the Grandriders set off from Taichung and make their way counterclockwise around the island. But the trip starts out bumpy.
Ruan Yi-yu
Grandriders PR coordinator
The main issue was the heavy rush hour traffic. There was a left turn signal and some of our Grandriders got confused. They saw everybody turning left, and so they turned left, too. Later there was some space by the side of the road, and we regrouped there. It’s a good thing that we had our volunteers on hand. They noticed the issue right away and brought our Grandriders back here.
With a cold front pushing south, temperatures are down to about 14 degrees Celsius. The Grandriders face a rigorous test against the cold.
Kuo Shen-sen
Grandrider
The top of a scooter is my favorite place to be. On a scooter, you can ride up to the mountains. You can head down to the water. At my age, being able to ride a scooter to the mountains and the water is great.
Grandrider Kuo Shen-sen tackles life with a smile, and that’s his secret to good health. At the age of 100, Kuo is on his fifth round-the-island scooter challenge. Holding up special stickers made just for him, the centenarian is proof that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.
Kuo Ching-hui
Daughter of Grandrider Kuo Shen-sen
He’s drinking his nutritional supplement. We call his supplements “happy meals.” They keep his energy up and they’re easy to digest.
The older Kuo was assigned No. 1 for the trip. He leads the way, cruising along steadily and surely.
Kuo Ching-hui
Daughter of Grandrider Kuo Shen-sen
I can see all the effort my dad puts into these trips. He prepares the whole year, keeping up his health so that he can ride happily for 10 days. He’s setting a very important example for us kids. He’s working hard in pursuit of his own happiness, to build his own life, even at the age of 100.
Huang Yang-ming
Fu Jen Catholic University psychology professor
They’re riding scooters around the island. That’s a challenge even for a lot of young people. The fact that they can do it has a great deal of symbolic significance. It shows that not all older adults are stuck lying in bed. They can also go out and do very interesting things, very challenging things.
As a young man working for a factory, Kuo went from Taipei to Kaohsiung each week, traveling by scooter. So he’s no novice when it comes to this mode of transport. Even at the age of 100, he still has the stamina and willpower needed for long trips.
Kuo Shen-sen
Grandrider
I’m just 100 years old. I don’t feel old. For me, being 100 years old is normal. I’m no different from anyone else. You see, I’m full of vitality. I just live a normal life. I sleep at 9 o’clock, I eat three meals a day, I go out and exercise, I ride my scooter, I exercise happily. That’s it. I’m happy just doing that.
To help Kuo complete the trip, his son and daughter have both taken time off work.
Kuo Tien-feng
Son of Grandrider Kuo Shen-sen
When dad did his round-the-island trip in 2019, I joined him on a scooter. When he did it again in 2022, I went along in a coach bus. In 2023, she went along in a coach bus.
Kuo Ching-hui
Daughter of Grandrider Kuo Shen-sen
I figured that this time, it was my turn. It’s my turn. So I raised my hand and volunteered to be with him.
Kuo Tien-feng
Son of Grandrider Kuo Shen-sen
It’s a blessing for us children that dad is in such great health. Why’s that? I’m taking time off work to have fun with him. That’s better than taking time off work to be with him in a hospital, right? A lot of people ask us how we can do this. I say, this is a happy occasion.
At 65 years old, Chiu Chi-hsing is the youngest Grandrider in the group. When he was 4 years old, he lost his right leg in a gravel truck accident. Growing up, he endured bullying and ridicule.
Chiu Chi-hsing
Grandrider
People would refer to me as “the cripple.” I got used to it. You have to get used to such things. If you don’t, you end up miserable. There’s nothing in this world that you can change simply by worrying about it. No amount of worrying can make a thing better, so why worry?
With his characteristic candor, Chiu pulls off his prosthetic leg in front of the camera.
He calls himself the “One-Legged Fun Seeker.” With a prosthetic leg and a will of steel, he climbed to the top of Yushan in 2022. In 2024, he’s riding around the island to cross it off his bucket list.
Chiu Chi-hsing
Grandrider
Actually there are a lot of people like me. They can’t come out of their shells. Instead, they just hole up at home. That’s extremely bad for them. I might walk slower than other people, but I can still reach the finish line.
For one older couple, this round-the-island tour fulfills a promise they made to each other 50 years ago.
Wang Chao-ching
Grandrider
When we were young, we said to each other that our finances were the top priority. We couldn’t go out and have fun. We said that once our children were grown and our finances allowed it, we would go on a scooter trip around the island.
Several years ago, Wang Chao-ching saw his brother lose his wife. His brother could only carry a photo of her on a train, to fulfill their round-the-island dream. It was then that Wang and his own wife realized that life was unpredictable, and that they should live with no regrets. So Wang’s wife, Chi Tien-hua, learned to ride a scooter and obtained a license. Together, they signed up for the Grandriders club to make their dreams come true.
Chi Tien-hua
Grandrider
We had wanted to ride on a single scooter. But the association said no, we each had to be on our own scooter. But that’s fine, getting out here is what matters.
The 10-day trip is like the winding paths of life, bringing surprises at each turn. As new challenges arise, the Grandriders navigate the road at their own pace. This sense of mastery over one’s own fate might be the ultimate dream, for both young and old. The Grandriders press on, inspiring those around them at every stop.
During the trip, they even serve as ambassadors against fraud and scams. Smiling wide, they shout slogans in a public awareness campaign.
They cut dashing figures as they go on their way. To these small children, they’re veritable superheroes.
They set off again, bringing along the good wishes of the locals. On this particular journey, every turn is a fresh beginning, and there are many more exciting chapters yet to come.
For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53
不老騎士再出發！百歲人瑞爺爺領軍 10天9夜熱血環島
2024-07-14
第一次的出發是從2007年開始，他們一次又一次的證明，長者也有追求夢想的熱情和實踐的能力，「不老騎士」已經成了熱血逐夢的代名詞。今年不老騎士再出發，29位平年齡超過75歲的長者，用十天騎車環島，其中，高齡100歲的郭深森爺爺已經是第五度挑戰，而且由他擔任領隊，全團沒人敢說自己老。而這趟環島，每位騎士還都捐出5萬元，響應「獨居弱勢長輩餐食計畫」，希望喚起社會對長輩餐食和健康的關注，也讓這趟環島行，不只充滿熱血，還有滿滿的愛心！
2024年3月，29位不老騎士集結一同追夢，他們平均年齡75歲。千歲團裡，有人重聽、有人罹癌，有人心臟裝了支架，但不因身體或年齡自我設限，他們展開十天九夜，長達1175公里的環島行。
為了這一天，29位不老騎士準備許久，一個月前還先試騎120公里熱身，就等出發這一刻。
為了便於識別，安全帽和摩托車都貼上編號，就算在行進間，隨行志工也能清楚認出每個人。車隊從台中開始，逆時針環島一圈，但才出發就狀況不斷。
[[環島團隊媒體組長 阮怡瑜]]
“主要這邊上班的車潮非常的多，因為剛好有一個是左轉燈，所以可能長輩他也有一點搞不清楚，他看著大家左轉，就跟著左轉了，所以我們後來找到，路邊有個比較空曠的地方，我們先臨時集結，還好我們的道安志工，他們有及時發現，所以他們就先去把長輩追回來”
這天冷氣團南下，溫度只有約14度，寒風刺骨下騎車備受考驗。
[[百歲不老騎士 郭深森]]
“騎摩托車是我最歡喜的地方，騎車可以到處遊山玩水，像我這個年齡，能夠騎摩托車到處遊山玩水，這是很好的晚年”
笑口常開，絕對是郭深森爺爺健康的祕訣，這是他「第五度」挑戰騎車環島，更驚人的是他已經高齡100歲了，「Q版貼紙」專屬於他，100歲追夢也不遲。
[[百歲騎士郭深森女兒 郭菁蕙]]
“喝他的營養補充品，營養品我們稱為幸福餐，幫他補充體力，因為它比較好消化”
郭深森編號第一，一路一馬當先，騎得又穩又好。
[[百歲騎士郭深森女兒 郭菁蕙]]
“我看到我爸爸的努力，他必須要一整年的時間，要維持自己的健康，他才有辦法在這十天可以完成，而且是愉快的完成。這對我們小孩來說，是非常重要的身教，他為了自己的愉快在努力，為了他的人生在努力，即便是100歲。”
[[輔仁大學心理系副教授 黃揚名]]
“騎摩托車環島，這樣的事情其實對很多年輕人來說，都是有挑戰性的，如果他們都可以做了，這個我覺得象徵性意義很大，一方面讓大家知道，所以老人不是都只能臥病在床，他們也可以做一些很有趣的事情，甚至可以做一些很有挑戰性的事”
原來郭爺爺年輕時開工廠跑業務，每週都要從台北騎車到高雄，摩托車是他熟悉的交通工具，但如今100歲高齡，照樣能騎車，體力和毅力，讓人打從心底佩服。
[[百歲不老騎士 郭深森]]
“才100歲，我覺得不老，對我來說100歲正常，沒有什麼差別，你看，精神滿好的。只要生活正常，我的正常生活是晚上九點就睡覺，七點半起床，三餐照吃，出去運動、騎機車，很開心去運動，這樣就好，這樣就很開心了”
為了幫百歲父親環島圓夢，兒女放下手邊工作，全力相挺。
[[百歲騎士郭深森兒子 郭天峯]]
“2019年那時候爸爸騎環島，我陪的時候是騎摩托車陪，接下來2022年我是坐遊覽車陪，2023年她坐遊覽車陪”
[[百歲騎士郭深森女兒 郭菁蕙]]
“我說應該輪到我了吧，應該輪到我，換我舉手，換我陪”
[[百歲騎士郭深森兒子 郭天峯]]
“爸爸這麼健康，對我們小孩子來說，是我們的福氣，為什麼呢，我請假陪他去玩，總比我請假在醫院陪他好吧，對不對，所以很多人說，你們為什麼可以這樣，我說這是一件開心的事情”
65歲的邱吉興是不老騎士團隊裡最年輕的，他只有一隻腳，邱吉興4歲時車禍遭砂石車拖行，截去整隻右腿，成長路上，少不了他人的冷嘲熱諷。
[[不老騎士 邱吉興]]
“人家說那個跛腳的，其實我們都已經很習慣了，一定要去接受這個事實，因為你自己不接受的話，反而你自己會很痛苦，絕對沒有一件事情，因為你的煩惱會把事情改變，你怎麼煩惱它都不會變好，為什麼要煩惱”
面對鏡頭，邱吉興大方拆下義肢，「坦然面對」是他一貫的人生態度。
邱吉興自詡為「獨腳愛玩客」，裝上鋼鐵義肢，帶著鋼鐵般的意志，2022年登上玉山前峰，2024年騎機車環島，人生的夢想清單逐一實踐。
[[不老騎士 邱吉興]]
“其實很多人跟我們一樣的人，真的走不出來，但是走不出來一直窩在家裡，這樣對他來講非常不好。我走得比較慢，但是我一定可以完成”
這趟環島行，源自於50年前結婚時的承諾。
[[不老騎士 王朝慶]]
“年輕的時候我們夫妻就有說過了，說我們現在要拚經濟，沒辦法出去玩，但是以後孩子長大以後，經濟允許的時候，我們就騎摩托車雙載去環島”
幾年前王朝慶目睹哥哥痛失愛妻，最後只能捧著照片，帶妻子搭火車環島圓夢，王朝慶夫婦看了猶如當頭棒喝，人生無常不要空留遺憾，不會騎車的紀添花，趕緊去考機車駕照，夫妻倆報名不老騎士，為環島圓夢踏出第一步。
[[不老騎士 紀添花]]
“我們本來要雙載，協會說不行，協會說要自己騎，各騎各的也沒關係，有出來就好了”
十天的環島，如同人生的道路，每個轉彎永遠充滿驚奇，面對不同的路況，騎士用自己的速度和方向前進，這份「操之在我」的快感，不分年齡，是每個人夢寐以求的成就感。不老騎士帶著勇氣前行，所到之處激勵人心，永遠是亮點。
環島途中，充當宣導反詐騙大使，鏡頭下自信的笑容，深具說服力。
爺爺奶奶騎機車環島好神氣，在小朋友心中，簡直成了超級大英雄。
帶著滿滿的祝福和熱力，車隊再次啟程，這條追夢路上，只有起點沒有終點，精彩篇章未完待續。
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