Meet the 91-year-old athlete who pushed Peloton to add senior age categories: "You can never give up"

CBS News

7 days ago

At 91, Dottie Dorion has ridden her Peloton bike more than 2,900 times. But when the fitness company's age categories topped out at 60-plus, the veteran athlete decided she wasn't going to compete quietly with "those young 80-year-olds."
After a 14-month campaign that involved lawyers and letters, Dorion successfully pushed Peloton to create new age brackets for riders 90 and older.
Dorion maintains an active lifestyle that includes yoga classes, weight workouts and daily rides on her Peloton. The routine reflects a commitment to fitness that began in childhood, when she spent entire days outdoors before television became commonplace.
"We didn't have TV. So, you know, we were outside all the time," Dorion said. "We'd go out in the morning, we'd come back when the dinner bell rang at night."
Dorion's athletic achievements span decades and include approximately 250 marathons and triathlons, including three Ironman competitions. She completed her first Ironman in 1985 at age 52, after learning to swim specifically for the event.
"I said, oh my God, I've gotta learn how to swim," Dorion recalled. "So I did, I learned how to swim."
Peloton organizes riders into age groups for peer comparison and competition, but only about 6% of users are over 65. When Dorion discovered the maximum age category was 60-plus, she wasn't happy about having to compete with younger people.
In a letter to Peloton's CEO last year, Dorion wrote: "I have owned a Peloton cycle since December 2018. I am very serious about maintaining fitness."
The initial response was silence.
Dorion then enlisted legal help, leading to months of correspondence before Peloton agreed to add both 90-plus and 100-plus age categories.
"What took you so long?" was Dorion's response to the final approval email.
Dorion was grateful that her persistence paid off.
"You can never give up," Dorion said. "If you're doing the right things for the right reasons, it's gonna turn out well."