St. Albert seniors are fulfilling their need for speed this fall with the help of a dedicated volunteer and her trishaw.
About 10 seniors at North Ridge Lodge got to feel the wind in their hair and see the fall leaves in the trees Monday when they went on a trishaw ride with volunteer cyclist Martina Rouault.
Rouault is a St. Albert resident who has been taking area seniors on free bike rides since late June 2023.
Rouault said she got the idea for the ride service years ago when she visited her mother in a seniors lodge and was saddened to see so many residents stuck in their rooms alone all day.
“I said to myself, 'I need to do something about this.'”
When she retired last year, Rouault said she started looking for something to do that would combine her passions for seniors and cycling. After doing some research, she bought an electric trishaw (a reversed tricycle with a bench on its front and an electric assist motor) and started offering her services to area seniors under the banner Tricycle 4 Three. She has taken seniors out on her trishaw about a hundred times since she started her ride service this June.
Rouault has made four visits to North Ridge Lodge this year and has been a big hit with the residents, some of whom never get the chance to go out otherwise, said activities co-ordinator Rita McDonald.
“They’re just all smiles when they come back.”
Rouault said seniors who ride on her trishaw must sign waivers and wear helmets and a seat belt. Each ride lasts 15 to 45 minutes, with Rouault and her passengers rolling down trails and residential streets at the pace of a brisk walk.
“It’s been a blast,” Rouault said of the rides, especially the conversations she has with her passengers.
“They have a lot of stories. They’ve been around for longer than the rest of us, and they have a lot to tell.”
North Ridge Lodge resident Terry Regimbald was one of Rouault’s first passengers last Sept. 18. It was her fourth time riding with Rouault.
“This is a great adventure,” she said of the rides, which give her a chance to get out and see the birds and the trees.
“The wind blows in our hair. It’s really freedom-feeling.”
Rouault said she plans to keep Tricycle 4 Three going for as long as she can. While she suspected demand for it might drop off once the snow falls, she said she was game to give rides in the winter if someone asked for one.
Rouault said her ride service was her way of showing thanks to seniors for all they have done.
“We will all be there one day, hopefully,” she said of old age. “And it’s very important to pay it forward and give back to the people who have given us so much in our lives. They deserve it.”
Questions on Rouault’s ride service should go to [email protected].
