LAFAYETTE, La. — Several age groups participated in the CajunMan Triathlon at Lafayette Regional Lake, which included swimming 800 meters, biking over 20 miles, and running 5 kilometers.
While several may have placed, one man is defying the odds at the ripe age of 77.
Donald Richard was one of two seniors who placed second overall in the Men's 75 to 79 age division.
Richard tells KATC, he has no intentions of slowing down.
"I'm seeing what I can do and obviously I slowed down," says Richard. "I was never fast but I slowed down and that's kind of a little hard to the stomach but then again the alternate is not doing it and that's not acceptable to me."
The triathlon is Richard's second race this year and he's already thinking about his next marathon at Sugar Mill Pond coming up in October.
He says that being active is something he loves to be.
"Boredom I guess. I just don't like sitting, I don't watch TV and I read," he says. "So I got to have something to do, I'm hyper in my old age. I have an adventurous spirit, I learn to ride a motorcycle at 60 and I started scuba diving at 65."
Staying active is both beneficial for his physical and mental health, according to Richard.
"When you get old you worry about Dementia, one of the things top things that keeps you from being demented is exercise. I've had some serious injuries and because I'm fit, it took me half the time that a person who was not fit to recover."
The secret to his confidence? To keep on going.
"You can that's it you can what you have to have is the willingness you're gonna hurt I hurt but it's a good hurt and I can promise you, you can. If I can start in my 40's with no experience whatsoever anybody can."
