April 25th: Elderly people went from Caminha to Porto on special bicycles to celebrate freedom | Newspaper C

Around 100 elderly people and people with disabilities finished on the 30th, in Aliados, in Porto, a ride on special bicycles to celebrate freedom, which started on April 25th in Caminha, in Viana do Castelo.

“I feel enormous joy. I’m fascinated, there’s no doubt about it. It’s the first time. We went to Norteshopping, walked around. What a wonderful day I’m having”, confesses Maria José Dias, 82 years old, atop a “triobike” taxi, made up of two seats for passengers, covered in red fabric.

Maria José Dias has a white scarf on her head to feel “warm and cozy”, because she knows that on top of the electric bike she will feel the wind and may end up shaking a little.

“I’ll be great this way”, she says, revealing that she’s sorry that this initiative doesn’t happen more often.

The tour ends at Avenida dos Aliados, with participants being presented with a laurel wreath at Porto City Hall, the Great Gray Pedaladaa trip carried out with special electric bicycles, because they are adapted for people who have mobility difficulties or are disabled, and whose objective is to maximize the feeling of freedom for all passengers, explained Sílvia Freitas, from Pedalar Cidade do Porto, the organizing entity.

“We started on the 25th [de abril] and today we arrived in Porto”says Sílvia Freitas, noting that the Grande Pedalada Grisalha initiative involved 149 people, including “97 elderly people and people with disabilities and 24 pilots”.

Maria de Fátima Pereira, 92 years old, is the oldest participant in the initiative and explains that she found out about Pedalada Grisalha at the Centro de Convívio da Paróquia da Areosa, in Porto, through volunteers who “give their time to help those who need it most” .

“I am very happy. They asked me this challenge. I accepted and it was wonderful”, says Maria de Fátima, stating that she “liked everything”, because she had “fantastic experiences”.

“We got rain, we got sun. We got bogged down with the bikes and it reminded me of my hometown, because I’m from Angola. It was an experience that I never thought I would have until this age,” describes Maria de Fátima, adding that she felt “free” and that she made “many friends” during the Grande Pedalada Grisalha – Pedalar sem Age initiative.

The international project was born 13 years ago in Denmark and spread to more than 50 countries until arriving in Porto in 2018.

The initiative that ends today had as its main objective “maximizing the feeling of freedom” of passengers over six days, with six stages, explains Sílvia Freitas, recognizing that the event strengthened intergenerational relationships.

Another of the objectives of the Grande Pedalada Grisalha, which welcomed passengers between 65 and 93 years old, was to activate the project in some places in the Porto Metropolitan Area, where the organization also intends to be, says Sílvia Freitas, remembering that on Monday the initiative was in Vila do Conde, with 40 participants.

Bicycles move with the power of human energy and the help of the electric motor.

These “triobikes” – with three seats (one for the rider and two for passengers) – also offer an access platform, which helps people to sit down and even with a cane or crutch, they have seat belts, he explains. Sílvia Freitas.

António Borges, the oldest pilot of the Pedalar Cidade do Porto organization, highlighted the conviviality, companionship and emotions felt especially between people, passengers and the organization.

“I think it was really good. Very good. The cyclists are special and so are the companions”, he concluded, noting that if he had to change anything it was just “to improve the weather conditions, as the rain on the last day delayed arrival in Porto.

“Otherwise, I think everything was wonderful,” he said.

Anyone who wants to participate in upcoming events can contact Pedalar Cidade do Porto by phone, email or on the website.

Lusa