x
Breaking News
More () »

Life moves fast for octogenarian cyclist in Dempsey Challenge

At 86 years old, Don Robitaille never lost the thrill that kids feel when they zip along on their bikes

LEWISTON, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Don Robitaille of Lewiston has probably spent more time on a bicycle than many of his fellow participants in the Dempsey Challenge have been alive.

He’ll be hunched over the handlebars for this year's challenge, just as he has every year since it began. And oh by the way, Don is 86. That’s right; he’s the oldest rider again this year.

Don rode his bike to deliver newspapers as a kid, and he’s been riding off and on his whole life. Don really kicked it in to high gear though when he retired in 1990. He’s biked across the country twice since then, and just this fall he rode 650 miles from Fort Kent down to Kittery.

Before crisscrossing the country on his bike in later years, Don Robitaille discovered his lifelong love for cycling as a newspaper delivery boy

The Dempsey Challenge is right in his wheelhouse too, because he gets to ride to raise money for cancer patients. Don is healthy, but his two brothers, two sisters, and his son have all battled cancer.

So, if you’re riding your bike in the Dempsey Challenge this week, keep your eye out for Don. He’ll probably go whizzing by you at some point.

Before You Leave, Check This Out