Local woman rides bike 3,300 miles, sets Guinness record

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - On July 8th, Cindy Norris left northern Washington on her bike. On that day she knew she had more than 3,300 miles ahead of her, but didn’t really know what to expect.

“The bliss of being a novice and not knowing what lies ahead helped keep me going,” she said.

At just over 67 years old, Norris aimed to make the Guinness book of world records as the oldest woman to ride a bike from coast to coast. And with her husband Rick following along, started riding usually between 30 and 100 miles per day.

“The record is in my name but it was a team effort,” she emphasized.

Guinness monitored the progress through her heart rate monitor that connects to them through an app, so they could track every pedal stroke along the way of what was an unforgettable experience.

“We saw the headwaters of the Mississippi river, the great lakes, Gettysburg,” she explained.

Norris says once she made it through Montana that she knew she could finish the journey, but says that wasn’t the toughest state to get through.

“Pennsylvania is just up and down and up and down,” she stressed.

Norris used the journey to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. It’s an organization that provides education for the children of soldiers who were killed in action.

She says through this effort they raised enough to put one of those children through college.

On October 28th, Norris hit the finish line in Delaware, achieving a feat that many probably doubted she could accomplish.

“You just have to reach down deep deep deep inside of you and say I’m not quitting!”

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