When President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa sits on your trishaw for a chat and tells you, "your project is amazing".

About a year ago, I "stumbled" on the international project Cycling Without Age as I sought to identify a sustainable transportation solution for the distribution of meals at Campo Grande Social and Parish Center. It was love at first sight.

Yesterday, fourteen months after the first contact, eleven months after the application and eight months after Ole Kassow (the founder of Cycling Without Age) told me that we had been accepted as a chapter for Lisbon, we had this unique moment with our President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa .

With the same generosity with which we walk daily, elderly people through the city of Lisbon, President Marcelo sat in our trishaw at the Rato Market Christmas Fair, and talked calmly with our Vice President, Carla Palmeiro Silva.

Much more than a bike ride, Cycling Without Age is about eradicating the loneliness and isolation that is confined to many of our elderly citizens - and others with reduced mobility. It is about (re) building relationships, about the relevance of the Older Adults in our society and their (re) integration into family and proximity ecosystems.

It's about simple things like feel the wind on your hair again, the raindrops on the backs of your hands, the warm sun in the face, the joy of seeing friends and neighbors and, above all, feeling valued and precious in our lives.

In 44 countries around the world, with about 200 chapters and over 2000 adapted bicycles, Cycling Without Age mission is to change the world through generosity, using a bike ride.

We make them slowly, with time for each other, in a healthy and sustainable activity, integrated in a different way of living the city and the community life.

Our volunteers - second beneficiary target - feel an incredible purpose in these actions because they immediately realize the extraordinary effect they have on their passengers.

Organizations that join this project recognize their innovative character and impact. Whether engaging its Employees as volunteers or building and implementing Corporate Social Responsibility Programs where the first beneficiaries are the elderly family members of its own employees, Cycling Without Age has been involved in extraordinary projects (intergenerationally, fighting diabetes or Alzheimer's) with results that inspire us daily.

As we were inspired yesterday, by the dedicated and genuine action of our President. For that, thank you, Mr. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

By: Rui Guedes de Quinhones - Presidente da Pedalar Sem Idade Lisboa, Associa??o de Apoio à 3a Idade.