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102-year-old Penticton resident celebrates birthday with lakeside bike ride

Breezy Johnson celebrated turning 102 with the help of Cycling Without Age Penticton
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Joe Knypstra, 101, and Breezy Johnson, 102, pose for a photo with their pilot Deb Lougheed ahead of Johnson’s celebratory birthday ride down to Skaha Lake. (Contributed Image)

Breezy Johnson celebrated her 102nd a little early this year.

The centenarian celebrated by taking a bike ride down to Skaha Lake today (Sep. 8).

Johnson was born on Oct. 21, 1918.

Cycling Without Age (CWA) Penticton picked Breezy and 101-year-old Joe Knypstra from their residence at the Concorde for a birthday ride down to Skaha Lake well ahead of time.

The group wanted to make sure they got Johnson and Knypstra out this year as they are short staffed.

They left at 10 a.m. on Sept. 8, with volunteer pilot Deb Lougheed taking them around to enjoy a trip out on the town, before returning back to the Concorde.

The pair of centenarians were having so much fun they kept their ride going. The pair had Lougheed take them down Main Street before going back along some of the backstreets.

“Breezy’s name came from her father, who had said that she was walking and running at nine months like a breeze,” said Neil Pritchard, the organizer for CWA Penticton.

READ MORE: Concentration camp survivor from Penticton turns 100

For her 100th anniversary, Breezy had told the Western News that her advice was to keep everything in moderation, and she shared her secret.

“When people ask about my secret, all I can tell them is that my mom and dad gave me good genes. I only wear them on Sunday’s so they’ve lasted a long time.”

With over 1,500 rides in 2019, CWA Penticton took more seniors for a ride than any other branch of the international organization, including large cities such as Toronto and New York.

This year, the group had planned to reach 5,000 trips. That goal was postponed to 2021 after the outbreak of COVID-19.

The OneSky sponsored program lost half of their 50 volunteers this year, with replacements currently in training. Once the training is finished, they will be picking back up the weekly rides for senior centres in Penticton.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Brennan Phillips

About the Author: Brennan Phillips

Brennan was raised in the Okanagan and is thankful every day that he gets to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
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