How One Member Found Strength Through Hardship

Logging 1,000 rides in nine months sounds like a mind-boggling task when you do the math. Yet suffice to say it might have been one of the easier tasks, relatively speaking, that Lynette B., a 66-year-old from Encino, California, has done in recent years, given that she’s a breast cancer survivor and is caring for her husband who has advanced Alzheimer’s Disease.

Lynette purchased her Peloton Bike three years ago, but for quite a while, it sat untouched and unused. “I was not crazy about exercising and did the least I could,” she says. Until, that is, the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, and quarantine rules were put in place. Essentially locked up at home, Lynette decided she not only needed something to do, but also a mental release from her daily stresses.

In addition, her husband Derek’s disease was progressing. Lynette’s daughter, Carly V., explains: “While my father has been sick for several years, his illness took a drastic turn at the start of the pandemic and he began to require full-time care.” Lynette turned to Peloton as her form of therapy, and she’s never looked back.

This isn’t the first time she’s had to find strength to move forward. Lynette was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, had a double mastectomy and is now able to call herself a breast cancer survivor, yet Peloton gave Lynette a strength Carly says she’s never seen before in her mom. In fact, Carly was so inspired by her mother’s determination that she also began taking Peloton classes. In the middle of December, she hit ride number 100, just one day after her mom had hit her thousand-ride mark.

Lynette says exercise is finally a priority in her life. She’s tried other exercises and worked with a personal trainer for years, but Peloton gave her something unique. “It’s the first time I feel like I’m doing it for my own personal growth in addition to achieving a fitness goal,” she says.

Peloton has also helped her survive during the toughest journey of her life. “With a sick husband, a pandemic and isolation, the Peloton Bike has been my escape and showed me I could do anything I put my mind to,” Lynette says. She admits that she felt nervous and made the mistake of not taking beginner classes at first, but riding is now her stress outlet. “It’s a way for me to turn off the outside world and not think about anything other than the ride, the instructors and the music.”

While Lynette finds value in many Peloton disciplines—such as stretching, strength, core and barre—her favorite classes are the cycling ones. She competes against herself by trying to beat the miles she rides in a class. She might, for instance, take two different 30-minute classes and try to ride more miles or have a better output in the second class. On some days, she may start with a warm-up or low-impact ride before moving to a 60-minute or 45-minute ride and working her way down in class length. Her secret confession? “I’m competitive and continually check my position on the Leaderboard,” she says.

Peloton has even provided a fun way for Lynette to connect with her two daughters who live in the Los Angeles area. “We often take classes together using the [video] chat function,” she says, adding that both of them are now as addicted as she is.

Even her five grandchildren, all of whom are under 8 years old, are aware of her feat and are always asking about her rides. “I hope I’m inspiring them,” she says.

Lynette doesn’t have any intention of slowing down. Now she’s up to 1,450 rides—and counting.

Ready to join Lynette on the Leaderboard? Take a class on the Peloton App today!

Remember, each person's fitness level is unique. Your workouts should reflect your own comfort and fitness level. Consult with your doctor and consider any underlying medical conditions before taking Peloton classes.