{"id":386585,"date":"2026-01-02T09:54:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T09:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/386585\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T09:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T09:54:10","slug":"the-right-to-wind-in-your-hair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/386585\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Right to Wind in Your Hair’"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the pandemic, Seigel-Boettner trained caregivers to become pilots, ensuring residents could still feel the sun on their faces. Some care homes have since incorporated rides into their regular activities. \u201cIt changed their relationships,\u201d Seigel-Boettner attests. \u201cCaregivers became companions again and also experienced much more appreciation from the families.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

CWA has since participated in memorials, weddings and Christmas parades. The trishaws roll wherever community life unfolds.<\/p>\n

As Seigel-Boettner navigates a gentle stretch of coastline road and divulges a local\u2019s secret spot for buying the freshest fish, Wright leans forward, her blue eyes bright. A soft wind tugs at her white, chin-length hair under her straw hat. A jogger gives her a thumbs-up; a toddler waves. \u201cI had my birthday picnic on the beach here,\u201d she remembers, pointing to the sand. She is no longer bound to her walker, but flying along the coast, reconnecting with her own narrative.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seigel-Boettner pedals steadily, electric-assist humming beneath his seat. He listens as she talks about a childhood holiday in her native Illinois, her children and grandchildren. The city drifts by in slow motion, laughter from a passing cyclist, birdsong, the surf\u2019s distant roar.<\/p>\n

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In this unhurried space, conversation flows across decades. The pilot becomes a companion; the rider a storyteller. The trishaw excursion is a chance to be seen again, not as a diagnosis but a person, not a burden but a being alive in the world. For pilots, each ride is a mirror, a reminder of what it means to age, to hope, to connect. For both, it\u2019s a moment when time loosens its grip.<\/p>\n

At the end of the ride, Seigel-Boettner helps Wright from her seat. She lingers at the threshold, turning to him. \u201cThank you,\u201d she says. \u201cThat was the best part of my day.\u201d He waves and she waves back before she heads inside.<\/p>\n

For Seigel-Boettner, the ride was the best part of his day, too. \u201cI\u2019ve ridden through downtown five million times, but with Elizabeth it was completely new,\u201d he says. \u201cCarpe diem \u2014 seize each day like it\u2019s your first.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scrolling photos courtesy of CWA, CWASB, Ole Kassow and S\u00f8lund Gefion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"During the pandemic, Seigel-Boettner trained caregivers to become pilots, ensuring residents could still feel the sun on their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":386586,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[1725,64,63,84791,784,9934,13469,85,207409],"class_list":["post-386585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-aging","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bicycles","tag-cycling","tag-elder-care","tag-older-people","tag-sports","tag-whole-person-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/386586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}