The Ride Of A Lifetime By Terry L. Wilson
How old is old? To a Britney Spears fan 30 seems to be the age at which a person turns to dust. At the three decade mark 40 is the number that strikes fear into the hearts of most. Which of course is followed by the dreaded, “Over The Hill 50 party.” Some think that when Father Time’s clock has struck 60 times that the cuckoo barely has enough energy to cuck, let alone cuckoo. Ten years past the half century mark does sound pretty old when put into that context, however just because you have enough time- in- grade to remember playing Perry Como records at 78 RPMs doesn’t mean you’re ready to hang out with Whistler’s Mother or whittle the day away waiting for another episode of Wheel of Fortune to appear on the boob tube.
For example: Patricia Starr, a resident of Santa Barbara, CA is closer to 68 than 67, but instead of worrying about renewing her AARP membership or lining up for a lively game of BINGO at the local Rotary Club she is preparing to set a new World’s Record bicycling across America.
“My goal is set a Guinness World’s Record as the oldest
female to ride the longest distance on a bicycle,” said Starr. “I plan to peddle more than 3,622 miles in 50
days.” Starr’s quest for bicycling immortality begins June 20 when she
departs from Astoria Or, her final destination, Portsmouth NH. To
prepare for this two-wheeled odyssey Patricia pushes her 24 speed Felt bicycle and herself
to the limit daily by traversing some of Santa Barbara’s most extreme terrain. “The steepest hill I climb here is 3,500 feet, it’s called Gibraltar Road and it’s where Lance Armstrong likes to train when he comes to Southern California,” said Starr. “The hills here in Santa Barbara are perfect for training grounds because I’ll be going over three mountain ranges: The Cascades, the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians. The highest peak I’ll climb will be in the Grand Teton and it will be over 9,600 hundred feet.” While achieving a World’s Record is the goal for Starr’s ride, the reason behind the event is to raise money for a scholarship fund for the college musicians. “The real reason why I’m doing this is to raise money for the Patricia Starr Scholarship Endowment Fund at Santa Barbara City College,” said Starr. A classical pianist extraordinaire, Starr is well known in Santa Barbara for her talents behind the baby grand. In addition to playing the piano and singing, Starr plays a mean slide trombone with the Prime Time Band of Santa Barbara. “I’ve been a performer my entire life and it’s so important to be able to encourage people to continue with their musical dreams,” said Starr. “and scholarships were what enabled me to get through college and now this is a chance for me to give back. Grant recipients will receive a one thousand dollar annual scholarship which will go into perpetuity once the total of $22,000 has been raised. Once that amount has been raised this scholarship will go on forever.” Proving the adage, “age is just a number” to be as accurate as you want it to be, Starr combines stunning looks and a drop-dead body with a positive “can do” attitude that propels her through life without giving a second thought to the number of candles that adorn her birthday cake. Patricia attributes her incredible physique to the fact that she has always been a veracious walker and she doesn’t eat junk food. She isn’t locked into any particular eating program like Atkins, etc. and she eats numerous small meals throughout the day. However, Patricia does avoid sugar like the plague as it saps the body of energy and can cause serious blood sugar problems. “My primary source of exercise is walking,” said Patricia. “Until recently I’ve never gone to a gym, and I occasionally ride a bicycle. Of course I am now training daily on my bicycle in Santa Barbara and am visiting a gym to help develop some muscles I’ll need for my cross-country bike ride.” |
When Patricia hits the road she will be pedaling 80-plus miles a day. In order to succeed she believes that her mental stamina is equally if not more important than her physical stamina. “To achieve my goal I must develop a mental game plan, which is what I’m doing during my training session,” said Patricia. “I can now easily do 25 miles in two hours. I am not a speedster or racer; I call myself a diesel because I know how to pace myself. I can keep going for the long haul.” Patricia attributes her ability to keep on truckin’ to her background as a performer. According to this veteran performer the show must go on, regardless of how you’re feeling. “There are times when a performer may not feel up to doing a show, but the ability to keep going was something that was instilled in me since age 13,” said Patricia. “The show must go on no matter how you’re feeling personally. And, I think that mindset will help me be successful on my quest to set a new world’s record. Radio 1290am in Santa Barbara will be keeping taps on Patricia’s ride by broadcasting live daily updates on the Baron’s Breakfast Club on Radio 1290 morning show. Her goal is to get enough sponsors to chip in until the goal of $22,000 has been raised. “If we can find 600 people to pledge one cent a mile we can get our 22 thousand,” said Patricia. “Or, if we find 300 people to pledge two cents a mile…well you do the math. Of course it could be great to get some large donations or a corporate sponsor but either way, whether it’s in big buck chunks or pennies by the mile, raising 22 grand is a very doable reality.”
Patricia won’t be hitting the road alone. Her biggest fan is her husband Gabriel. However, he won’t be on a bike, Gabriel will be following along in a van filled with spare bike parts and ice packs. “I am so proud of Patricia,” said Gabriel. “I’ve got an easy job; all I have to do
is drive the van and hang around the motel’s pool until she stops for the day. Some even feel sorry for me—RIGHT!!!”
Gabriel will be e-mailing and photographing the entire event to keep the local media and
friends updated on her progress. Looking decades younger than many of her peers, Patricia believes that anyone can achieve a youthful appearance regardless of the date on ones birth certificate. It starts with a belief in ones self and a positive attitude.
“Hopefully I can be a positive example of what can be accomplished if a person simply has the desire to get off the sofa and experience life first-hand. Setting goals for yourself is imperative regardless of your age. Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean this is the end of the line."
Patricia”s progress can also be tracked on www.sbstarrsview.com |
