Growing up on her family’s farm in southern Ontario, Canada, Joanne Johnston considered her bike to be a necessary and valuable form of transportation. Joanne would ride down a long lane of the farm to get the mail or deliver lunches to the workers in the fields. Joanne also relied on her bike to visit friends and to go to the library. By using a bike and finding alternative sources of transportation, Joanne delayed purchasing her first car until after graduating from nursing school.
     Joanne is still riding a bike today. Joanne recently participated in the women’s only section of the Portage Lakes Triathlon, known as a mini-sprint…or affectionately called “girls can do it too!” Joanne was required to swim 250 yards, bike 7 miles and run 2 miles as a participant. Looking around at this event, Joanne noted that, “None of us looked like athletes. We were all different ages and sizes. But I’m already looking forward to my next triathlon!”
     When cycling Joanne shared, “I like to do things that are off the beaten path.” She’ll cycle off the Towpath Trail to discover a new perspective. Joanne considers a road closed to thru traffic an invitation to enjoy a less congested ride and an opportunity to enjoy the scenery.
Joanne is looking forward to retirement when she plans to spend more time riding her bike. She would really like to cycle through places such as Nantucket or Spain.Joanne offers this advice to her fellow cyclists. “Just do it! You may think you don’t have the time to ride your bike. Go out for short bursts. Don’t worry about how many miles.”
     Joanne has shared her love of the outdoors and being active with her three children, now grown. “We always kept active as a family. We’re an outdoor family,” Joanne shares. Joanne’s adult children are sharing this same lifestyle with their own children. Joanne continues to be very active. In addition to cycling, Joanne also enjoys skiing, tennis, swimming, running and dragon boating.
During the winter months, she serves as an adviser for the Revere Middle School Ski Club. Throughout the rest of the year, Joanne enjoys dragon boating.
     Joanne is a member of the Dragon Dream Team. The Dragon Dream Team is a dragon boat team and a breast cancer support group. This organization is open to any breast cancer survivor in northeastern Ohio. Their website is www.dragondreamteam.org.
     Joanne, a nurse, and her husband live in Bath. When not busy with other activities, they enjoy spending time with their children and three grandchildren. Joanne, Blimp City is in awe of your active lifestyle. Best wishes in all future competitions and in any cycling destinations you wish to embark upon!