Ottawa man cycles to top of Road Worlds for Seniors
An 86-year-old Ottawa man has taken top spot in a global cycling championship for seniors.
Norman Côté, who lives at Bruyère Village in Orléans, cycled 8,346.7 km on a stationary bike during the month of September making him the male champion at the Road Worlds for Seniors.
"I don't feel any different, I'm always number one!" Côté said, laughing. "It's always a challenge so if I feel I'm up to it I'm jumping in."
Jeannine Benoit, also from Bruyère Village was the top Canadian woman.
"I liked so much pedalling every week more and more and sometimes at night," she said.
More than 5,000 people from around the world took part in this year's competition—its largest yet. The goal of the event hosted by Motitech is to get older people and those with dementia motivated and engaged in physical activity.
"Here we are in our fifth year and it's bigger than ever with over 5,000 participants, 260 teams from 11 different countries," said Dan McEwen, Motitech's director of market development. "It's growing every year so it's amazing to have the number one team Bruyère Village from Canada this year."
Côté is part of a group of 30 cyclists from Bruyère Village who took part. The team collectively cycled the longest distance in the competition at 15,332.1 km and took home the "World Champions Team" title.
"They always want to better their score from the previous year so they challenge themselves to do better," said Denise Rousseau-Pistilli, executive director of Bruyère Village. "For them it's making new friends, meeting their neighbours and they're coming down in the middle of the night and they're pedalling in the middle of the night, they're so dedicated to the cause and if we had double the bikes I'm sure our kilometres would've been even more."
Medals and certificates were handed out to participants on Thursday.
As for the best part—Côté says, "I for sure like the wine and cheese."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit natural gas levies to the federal government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.