Tom Kennedy rides his tricycle from the middle of North Dakota through Montana and almost across Idaho — all on the same Bothell street. He charts his mileage from his pretend road trip as the odometer racks up more than 1,000 miles.
At 79 with a bum ticker, he can’t physically bisect the state on a Schwinn. He leans on a cane as he moves to the back porch to maneuver his wheels down the gravel driveway. He rides up and down his neighborhood roads, in and out of cul de sacs along the three-block stretch, loving the exhilaration of exercise.
Kennedy logged decades of community service miles in his day. Retired from the insurance business, he was president of the Evergreen State Fair Board, was appointed to the state fair commission, served on the Snohomish County Planning Commission and still volunteers with the Snohomish County Block Watch program.
"I know who should be home," Kennedy said. "I know what cars should be there."
He said he is lucky, because he is probably the only person who knows all of his neighbors. Two men who live down the street, Roger Eck and Rob McCaw, are good friends who keep his tricycle in working order.
Honored to take a whirl on the trike, I didn’t go very far because the odometer had 999 miles on it. Of course, Kennedy wanted the honor of turning over the four digits to 1,000. The Miami Sun Adult Trike is red, with a fluorescent safety triangle on the back and rear-view mirrors. I cruised a bit and tooted the horn. The stability of three wheels under my tush was wonderful.
Harvy Massoud, owner of Harvy’s Bike Shop in Lynnwood, said he sells two or three adult tricycles each year, not just to seniors but also to those who can’t balance on a two-wheeled bike. They sell for around $400 at his store.
Peg Kennedy, Tom Kennedy’s wife of 48 years, said pushing the pedals keeps her husband’s legs from becoming crippled. Peg Kennedy was active with their three sons in 4-H. She still keeps some Dorsett sheep at their lovely Bothell property, where they have lived since 1958. She said thank goodness for 4-H, because she learned to perform CPR through that program.
In 1994, she found her husband on the couch in cardiac arrest. She called for help and did CPR.
After he had a second heart attack, Tom Kennedy received a cardiac defibrillator to keep around the house.
"My doctor calls me Superman," Tom Kennedy said. "I was dead once."
Left with weak legs after his heart problems, one of his sons suggested he get a tricycle. It’s great exercise, but it’s not without peril. Kennedy said he’s been nearly hit on the road three times. He doesn’t go riding after dark, preferring to pedal around in the mornings, then he goes back out a couple of more times each afternoon, he said.
"I gave up driving a car three years ago," Kennedy said. "I couldn’t coordinate my feet on the pedals."
Not driving doesn’t take him out of the action. Neighbors took him to the August Washington State University football game in Seattle. He is a dedicated WSU supporter from the class of 1948. His wife drops him off at the Northshore Senior Center on Wednesdays to watch dancing at lunchtime while she runs errands.
My father-in-law had weak legs. When walking became a chore, he took to his sofa, then to a bed in a nursing home, then he died. I admire meeting a gentleman who keeps moving as best he can.
I picture Kennedy, near Spokane, heading for home. I bet he’ll make a pit stop in Bothell, then pretend pedal through Oregon and California, keeping his mind, heart and legs in high gear.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran:
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