Pedaling to 100

Katelyn Rendulic ’15 spent every Monday of 2023 doing the same thing — listening. After weekday mass, she met with her 97-year-old grandfather, Jack Eckenrode, for a one-hour coffee date where they would talk and Eckenrode would share stories. 

Rendulic would listen. But soon, she started taking notes.

“I asked Katie if she would mind writing a book to our family,” Eckenrode said. “And she didn’t even hesitate.”

The book, Road to 100: Pillars to Strong and Happy Aging from a Senior Olympic Cyclist, was published last fall. Not only does the book share Eckenrode’s life story, it also offers his advice on staying healthy and active.

“I live on a bike trail and I still bike,” Eckenrode said. “A lot of people stop by and they say, holy man! You’re still biking? What are you doing?”

Eckenrode has competed in the Senior Olympics as a cyclist for many years. He said his daily exercise regimen (the same one he shares in the book) started as a cadet in the Air Force, and he’s done it each day since.

We wanted the book to be something that anybody could access, especially seniors,” Rendulic said. “We’re all starting from a different place, so we wanted to share simple things that help someone live a strong life.”

One thing Rendulic, a history and English major at UD, really connected with in writing the book are the 10 pillars that her grandfather shares as simple steps to help live a healthy life. Some of her favorites include Throw a Party, Faith is a Muscle and, lastly, Keep Old Friends, Make New Ones, which spoke to Rendulic’s value of educating the whole person, something she first learned about at UD. 

“That mentality of service, learning about your community and knowing your neighbor is somewhat distinct about UD,” she said.

Another pillar, Volunteering is How I Stay Connected to My Community, appears several times throughout the book and is central to the story as it has been central in Eckenrode’s life.

“I have a lot of older people that I meet that are lonely … and I encourage people to get out and socialize a lot,” he said.

Though not a Flyer himself, Eckenrode truly connected with his granddaughter when they discussed the topic of community — a pillar of Rendulic’s UD experience. She wanted to include her grandfather’s philosophy of “exercising the muscle of community building” — as essential to a strong life.

“Community — it’s a key part of what it means to be a student at the University,” she said.

“The instinct to make an effort to acknowledge and know your neighbors is what makes attending UD much bigger than the degree you get at graduation.”

In August, Eckenrode will compete in the Senior Olympics again, traveling to Idaho for the competition. And he and his granddaughter are already planning for the next few years of his life as he counts down his 100th birthday. 

“We’ll definitely have [another book] when I hit 100! Volume two,” he said.

Rendulic joked that as he approaches triple digits, her grandfather shows no signs of slowing down — on the page or the pedals.