Northbend’s Dick Soller didn’t do his first marathon until he was 80 years old. He’s now 95 and plans to run in the Flying Pig 10K on Saturday. His daughter says her dad may not do the entire race because he was hospitalized for three days last week. Plenty of people might think the fact that he is competing at all is amazing.
Daughter Mary Soller says her dad only became physically active after he retired from Procter & Gamble. For years, he has competed in the track and field events at the Senior Olympics. Wife Jean was always at his side cheering.
Mary is also a runner and didn’t want to leave her mother, who now has Alzheimer’s, on the sidelines. She contacted the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Cincinnati to find out the best mode of travel for her mom.
Soller found just the right thing. “I researched and looked at a piece of equipment that is actually — you would look at it and think it’s for a child, for jogging, for running — but it’s made for a person with disabilities,” she says.
Mary hopes to bring attention to Alzheimer's research for her mom and is raising money for the cause.
