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They say that time flies when you’re having fun, but, here at ElliptiGO, it’s the miles that fly by! As the summer draws to a close, we’re looking back on this season and all the exciting milestones our community of riders has been reaching. There’s one amazing rider we’d like for you to meet who goes to show that, when you find an exercise that you truly enjoy, it’s easy to take your fitness to the next level over and over again. We’re sending a huge congratulations on hitting the 20,000-mile mark to our August 2021 Rider of the Month, Dainah Graham!

A native of New York City and now a resident of Tucson, Arizona, Dainah has always kept her body in motion. Even though she wasn’t able to participate in team sports growing up, she was always on the move – jumping double-dutch, riding her bicycle, playing basketball. Her enthusiasm for physical fitness played a role in deciding to join the U.S. Marine Corps. While serving our country, Dainah stayed in shape by running, cycling, and playing racquetball. With all these sports and activities in her repertoire, it might have seemed like Dainah had seen it all when it came to fitness. That’s when beloved ElliptiGO rep Margarita Rypkowski introduced Dainah to ElliptiGO bikes four years ago.

“One day she convinced me to test ride an ElliptiGO bike and I was immediately hooked,” Dainah told us. “I loved the feeling I got from riding it.”

Now, riding an ElliptiGO bike is one of the main ways that Dainah gets in a sweat. When we asked why our bikes became one of her fitness favorites, the answer was so simple: FUN.

“It’s fun, so exercise doesn’t feel like a chore,” Dainah said. “I hesitated a little while before buying one and what a waste of time that was. I’ve had so many great experiences with fantastic people from all over. I have definitely gained more than my money’s worth by purchasing an ElliptiGO.”

Plus, she loved that it allowed her to be free of some of the less than fun issues with riding a traditional bike – no pain and no need for a chamois!

While Dainah was having a blast on her ElliptiGO bike, something amazing happened without her even realizing it.

“Last year, my end of the year STRAVA report showed that I had ridden over 6,500 miles, so I decided to check the previous two years of STRAVA,” she told us. “I discovered that I had unknowingly improved my mileage a bit each year. At the end of last year, I realized I had accumulated close to 18,000 miles.

“Small personal goals have always kept me motivated, so I set a personal goal of reaching 20,000 miles this summer. I achieved that goal midway through June.”

Dainah says that many of those miles were motivated by the Global ElliptiGO Riders Club. She has participated in International Elliptical Cycling Day, our annual ElliptiGO Rally ride, the ElliptiGO Winter Classic, the ElliptiGO Spring Classic, Tucson ElliptiGO Day, Tour de Cookie, Bike for Humanity, and the Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City. She is also active in our customer-run Facebook Group, which she says is the only reason she uses social media. 

She said, “It’s a great community of people, from literally around the world, who encourage one another and is an endless source of information about all things related to ElliptiGO riding. I’ve learned so much through the group.”

We asked Dainah what her next big goal is after racking up over 20,000 miles on her ElliptiGO bikes. Here’s what she shared: “My new goal for this year is to ride more total miles than I rode last year. I’d like to see how long I can continue to improve. As a sexagenarian, I’m encouraged and impressed by the many riders who are much older than I am who keep GOing.”

Dainah, we will be cheering for you as you ride toward and reach this excellent goal. You can GO the distance, and our community will be here to help encourage you through every mile for years and years to come. Thanks for reminding us why it’s so easy to enjoy staying active at any age when you stand up and ride happy!

Contact ElliptiGO with nominations to Rider of the Month or share your own story. It may just be the next feature!