Life on two wheels

• By MARK H. HUNTER
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Aug 11, 2009 - Page: 1D

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Herbert Fealing “lives to ride and rides to live.”

That cliché is usually associated with Harley Davidson bikers as an expression of the freedom they find on the open road, but for 83-year-old Fealing, it is a lifestyle that he credits for his longevity.

Fealing doesn’t ride a motorcycle. He rides a bicycle almost every day and can often be gone from his small Colorado Street home for hours at a time.

He’s been riding competitive long-distance events in the Louisiana Senior Olympic Games for the past dozen years and has numerous bronze, silver and gold medals to prove his mettle.

“It’s always been a part of me,” Fealing said, beginning with riding a tricycle as a child to “cruisers” he rode to work for many years to the modern multispeed racing bikes he rides now. “I love to ride bikes.”

“People ask me ‘how do you stay in shape?’ and I tell them, ‘there is truth to the saying use it or lose it,’” Fealing said. “Many years ago I met a lady who was 102 years old and I asked her what her secret was. She said ‘I trust in the Lord and I stay active.’ That’s enough for me! That’s how I stay motivated.”

When asked about his training regimen, he shook his head and grinned broadly.

“God is my coach,” he said. “I just ride. I ride races up to 28 miles — you have to work yourself up to it.”

According to results posted from last year’s Louisiana Senior Olympic Games, he qualified for the Nationals event by finishing the 5 kilometer time trial, or just over 3 miles, in 20 minutes and 55 seconds in the 80-84 age bracket. His 10K (6.2 miles) time was 48:43, and he finished the 20K (12.4 miles) road race and the 40K (24.8 miles) road race as well, riding against Richard Okrepki, of Metairie, who bested Fealing in all events.

Fealing’s faith is an integral part of his life. He said he believes in the power of prayer and miracles — because he’s experienced a miracle in his own life.

Back in the days before refrigeration, Fealing was a teenager working for an ice delivery service in Lutcher. A chunk of ice jammed in the truck’s crusher and when he pushed it loose his left hand slipped into the whirling blades.

“They put a tourniquet on my arm and took me to Charity Hospital in New Orleans where the doctors wanted to amputate it,” he said, as the memory visibly saddens him. “I prayed about it and the Lord said to keep it. It’s amazing how God works. It’s a miracle.”

He ended up losing his little finger, some tendons and most of the use of the hand. In spite of what could be seen as a handicap, he has since then worked a wide variety of physical jobs ranging from felling timber to chopping cane to various construction jobs to driving a truck. He retired from The Advocate in 1985 after working in the maintenance department for 27 years.