At 97-years-old, Nancy Lawrence's life has become very limited. She needs a walker to get around and depends on others to drive her places.
It can be a lonely life.
"I don't get out of the house except one a week when somebody takes me to church," says Nancy, soft-spoken and petite. "I'm alone all day, so getting out is a treat."
Getting out is exactly what Lawrence is doing these days with the help of a group of volunteers called the Sequim Wheelers.
The Wheelers take the elderly, sick and those with disabilities on free, 45-minute rides along the Olympic Discovery Trail with a specially outfitted bike.
"Oh, my gosh, we get so many smiles in this job," said volunteer Leilani Sundt. "People are thrilled."
The idea is to make the outdoors more accessible to everyone.
Dana Pounds lost her leg to cancer. She hadn't been on a bike for 15 years until she met the Wheelers.
Now she's a board member.
"It feels like being a kid again," Pounds said with a big smile. "It's hard to describe, but when the wind is blowing through your hair it's a feeling that you really have forgotten."
Former special education teacher Nicole Lepping founded the organization after seeing another "wheeler" group in Illinois. She said Sequim's is just the 5th in America. Though they've only been giving rides for about a month, she said the results are already obvious.
"We have families of people with Alzheimer's coming to us and saying their loved one is remembering things from past bike rides. It's truly remarkable," said Lepping.
The rides bring back the little things we tend to take for granted -- until they're taken away from us.
For Lawrence, it's the smell of the fresh air and how tall the trees have grown.
But it's more than that.
Lawrence's face lights up when her "pilot" Sundt greets her with a hug. It becomes clear this is also very much about companionship, dignity, compassion.
For Lawrence, it's a chance to be a kid again where for one afternoon, life isn't lonely anymore.
"I'm thanking God every day for this," she said.
The Sequim Wheelers are looking for additional donations and volunteers to expand their program. For more information, click here.
