CO Senior Athletes Beat Odds, Win Gold

Four Colorado senior athletes overcame extreme obstacles to help pioneer the sport of recumbent racing. While they won gold, each one says the experience was worth far more than medals.

While serving the U.S. armed forces and stationed in Germany, Rodger D. Reddish, 68 of Colorado Springs, was hit by a car. That accident left him with neurological damage, making it difficult to communicate. His injuries led to a stroke, which left him with a slur.

Once he was able to ride, the Veterans Administration gave him a recumbent trike, and so when Esmaa Self, 57, of Loveland, began posting here about Utah’s Huntsman World Senior Games opening a division for trike racing, Reddish was intrigued. He mentioned the upcoming games to his friend, Larry Seidman, 53, also from Colorado Springs, and together they decided to race in their separate divisions.

Seidman is a triathlete. He finished first in his division in 2012 when, while training, he too was struck by a car. His recovery from that near-fatal accident continues today.

“In 2012, I was competitive in sprint and Olympic distance triathlons as well as 5k and 10K running races,” Seidman said. “Then I was involved in a near fatal car accident that left me unable to ride a road or triathlon bike. I won the road triathlon I competed in just prior to that crash. Recovery started with multiple trips to the ER and ICU, and countless hours of physical therapy, as well as chiropractic visits. Post-accident years have presented a different set of challenges, including that recumbent (trikes) are excluded from triathlons.”

Despite the fact that recumbent bikes are not allowed in triathlons, Seidman said he was eager to compete. He talked to the Huntsman World Senior Games race director, who allowed him to enter the triathlon, as long as it was understood that the rules would not allow him to win the event. Undeterred, Seidman signed up for the triathlon and five other events, and he won in every event save the triathlon, for an impressive haul of three gold and two bronze medals.

William Self, 55, a software engineer and accomplished unicyclist, was unemployed during the recession, thus saw his retirement savings wither. He took contract software testing jobs that offered no benefits and a fraction of his former salary. While he was consistently given great reviews and his initial contract was always extended, Self ended up working for three contract companies in seven years, which led to depression, anxiety and self-doubt.

“The best part of competing was to see what I could do, to prove myself to myself,” he said.

Self’s wife, Esmaa, a longtime mountain climber, give up mountaineering due to foot and knee injuries. Those injuries and menopause resulted in her gaining 35 pounds. The extra weight caused joint pain. She dieted and exercised, but the weight wouldn’t budge. The Selfs added upright bikes to their exercise program, but Esmaa, who says she has zero skill with bikes, kept crashing.

Self suggested they invest in recumbent trikes. Esmaa immediately saw trikes as a way to regain physical conditioning without further injury.

A few months and 700 trike miles later, Esmaa spotted an article about the Huntsman World Senior Games on the AARP website and began to research specifics. St. George, Utah, held HWSG. It was the only senior games in the United States that allowed recumbent trikes. Two years of recumbent racing at St. George had seen about a half dozen racers. There were 10 age divisions, both two-wheeled and three-wheeled recumbent divisions, two gender divisions and two recumbent events. A total of 80 gold, 80 silver and 80 bronze medals were up for grabs in the recumbent events.

The athletes raced unopposed in their recumbent divisions, however, they had to do more than just show up; they had to overcome physical pain and limitations, inertia, depression and frustration, and build endurance, muscle and skill.

“My self-doubt was the hardest part to overcome,” said Reddish. “After that vehicular accident, I could no longer ride motorcycles or bicycles, and the FAA took away my pilot’s license.”

Esmaa said the greatest challenge for her was inexperience.

“I didn’t know how the races would be organized, and I was nervous about that. Once I crossed the finish line in my first event, that nervousness melted away,” she said.

Each one ended up setting course records and winning multiple medals.

“I’ve come a long way,” said Esmaa, “but I’ve a ways to go before I’m a good rider. I still make shifting errors, and am still working on stroke efficiency.”

Reddish and Seidman work around physical limitations and pain. Both endured years of physical therapy in order to cycle again. Both state that recumbents offer pain-free riding, and they both set division records in the hill climb event.

These four athletes are first-year senior games participants, who share a willingness to push themselves toward a goal.

“It’s good to challenge yourself, to see what you can do,” Esmaa said. “My absolute favorite memory from the Games was having the opportunity to personally thank the people who made it possible for us to race.”

For more inspiration, click here.

[L-R, Larry Seidman and Rodger D. Reddish of Colorado Springs. Photo courtesy of Reddish]