Ride Like Richard Challenge:
Richard Winkler, 95 Years Young, CyberCyclist
Celebrating Dedication and Community Spirit! 🌟
At Blue Goji, we love a good challenge, especially when it involves a bit of friendly competition and a whole lot of fun. Last week, we pushed our limits with an internal challenge for employees, the "Ride Like Richard Challenge." Inspired by the incredible performance of 95-year-old Richard Winkler in the CyberCycle Madness tournament, we set out to see if we could match his astounding 121 miles in 48 hours.
Richard, from Covenant Living of Turlock, logged those miles in the qualifiers round of CyberCycle Madness, showing us that age is just a number when it comes to staying active. His story is not just inspiring; it's a testament to perseverance and healthy living. He credits his lifelong activity, healthy nutrition, and dedication to staying fit as his secrets to aging well.
On May 22 and 23, Blue Goji employees from across the nation—whether from our warehouse facility, their homes, or our Austin headquarters—took on the challenge. We set up desks at a few of the upright bikes so employees could work and ride simultaneously. Despite numb derriers and lots of sweat, we pushed ourselves to log as many miles as possible.
Let's talk about the brave souls who took on the challenge:
Bryan Tran (our marathon-running hardware/product engineer) led the pack with 74 miles. Bryan, you're a beast!
Kasey Werner (Marketing Manager extraordinaire) clocked in a respectable 60 miles.
Denis (Lead Game Engineer) and Rebecca Kennedy (Sales Team) each powered through 20+ miles.
Shoutouts to Mike R., Randy J., Esteban C., Victor D., Megan Goniprow, John G., and more for their valiant efforts (all logging more than 10 miles)
Collectively, we logged over 300 miles, but alas, none of us individually reached Richard's 121-mile mark. This experience was a humbling reminder of Richard’s epic endurance and how tough it is to keep pace with a 95-year-old cycling machine.
Richard's dedication to cycling, along with his amazing life story—from working on a farm in high school to graduating from UC Berkeley and working as a civil engineer—motivated us all. He’s a true inspiration, showing us that staying active and challenging ourselves can be a lifelong journey.
Sweating and Laughing Together
Despite the sore muscles and sweat, the Ride Like Richard Challenge brought us closer together. We shared laughs, groans, and a newfound appreciation for Richard's incredible achievement. Plus, it was a fantastic way for many of us to dip our toes (and pedals) into our first company-wide challenge.
So, what did we learn? Richard Winkler is a legend, and we have a long way to go if we want to keep up with him. But most importantly, we had a blast trying.
Here's to more challenges, more fun, and more moments of sheer, sweat-drenched determination. Let’s keep pushing boundaries and riding strong, Blue Goji!
We hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure as much as we enjoyed living it! Stay tuned for more updates and challenges from the Blue Goji team.
🚴♂️🚴♀️💪
