Adkins leads by example in Reach the Beach ride

By Cliff Newell

The Lake Oswego Review, May 15, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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By riding 100 miles on Saturday, May 17, Dick Adkins of Lake Oswego figures he can do a lot of good for people.

The event is called Reach the Beach, a ride for thousands of bicyclists sponsored by the American Lung Association of Oregon, and Adkins’ commitment to it is quite serious. He does not want people to die prematurely of lung disease, the way his father did.

“My dad died of emphysema. He was quite a smoker,” Adkins said. “I’ve seen pictures of Black Lung and that is exactly what he had. He was 68 at his death, and in our family the men live to be in their 80s or 90s.

“Reach the Beach is just a way to get people to stop smoking. More women smoke than men today, and that is not the way it used to be. Smoking can kill you at a young age. I don’t think that should happen to anybody.”

Adkins credits bike riding with drastically improving his health and fitness. It is hard to believe when you look at him now, but he was once 225 pounds and had a huge waistline. Now the 65-year-old Adkins is a slim, trim and strong 150 pounds, more befitting his background as a college athlete.

Thus, Reach the Beach is way for Adkins to maintain his commitment to fitness and also honor his father.

“I’ve been riding in Reach the Beach for about six years,” Adkins said. “A friend told me about it. He said, ‘This is a longer ride like you’ve been looking for. It looks like an interesting one.’ I thought, ‘This is one ride I could probably do in remembrance of my dad.”

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