A man with an unselfish attitude
During the Waldo County YMCA Triathlon in Belfast, Maine, a triathlete crashed hard because of a car who pulled into the road, and fellow competitor Roberto Lopez-Anido was selfless and stopped to assist and direct traffic.
Slowtwitch: Thank you for your time. You seem to be a very active outdoor person.
Roberto Lopez-Anido: I enjoy cycling, swimming and running. I have been doing road cycling for 12 years. I typically participate in three group rides per week from April through November. I truly enjoy the camaraderie in the group rides and in the after ride gatherings. I also commute to work by bike year-round; it’s only 2.5 miles from my home in Orono to the University of Maine campus where I work. Most people in this area think of me as a cyclist. I joined the Black Bear Masters Swimming team one year ago to improve my style and performance for the swim portion of triathlons. Swimming with other Masters at 6:00 AM has been fun, besides we have a supportive coach who is succeeding in making us better swimmers. I also participate in group runs and road races organized by the Sub5 Club Track to learn to pace myself for different distances.
ST: What sports did you grow up with?
Roberto: I grew up in the pampas of Argentina, where I was not very active in sports. As a kid I learned several sports at the local YMCA; I always enjoyed swimming. I played soccer and rugby in school for a couple of seasons without showing much talent.
ST: How long have you been participating in triathlons now?
Roberto: My oldest daughter, Camila (26), did the Ironman Wisconsin in 2012. She was my inspiration to start training for triathlons. I have participated in triathlons for one year and I finished the Ironman 70.3 Timberman, the Lobsterman Olympic distance and a local sprint triathlon during the last year.
ST: Even though we are talking to you because of a triathlon, I somehow have the feeling though that you would not describe yourself as a triathlete.
Roberto: I am not a true triathlete. I enjoyed the training and participating in triathlons. When I turned 50 I realized that my recovery times after vigorous bicycle rides were getting longer. I’ve found that cross-training with swimming and running allowed me to be active almost every day.
ST: Have you raced the Waldo County YMCA Triathlon in any previous year?
Roberto: No, this is my first year. I plan to do it again next year.
ST: Did you feel good and ready as you got to the start of the race?
Roberto: Yes, this was my second sprint triathlon of the year. I feel that I was properly trained for this event.
ST: What were the conditions like on race morning?
Roberto: It was a rainy morning with temperature in the lower 50s. The roads were wet; however, it was not raining at the time of the accident. In my opinion, visibility was good on route 3 at that time.
ST: When that accident happened with Joe Anderson, how close were you?
Roberto: My estimate is that I was 6 to 8 bike lengths behind Joe. According to my Garmin Forerunner my speed was 30 mph when I hit the brakes.
ST: Did you see him move pretty quickly, or were you uncertain about the severity of the accident?
Roberto: I clearly saw the accident happening like in slow motion. I was shocked to see him flying over the hood of the car and landing very hard on the pavement. Then he was laying on the pavement without being able to get up; he was bleeding.
ST: Were many other cyclists near you, and did anyone else stop?
Roberto: I was the only cyclist near Joe. Joe and I were in the fifth wave of the triathlon. We came out at similar times from the first transition. After a couple of miles into the cycling portion, we were the only two riders ahead of our wave. I passed Joe at least three times going uphill, and he passed me back going downhill.
ST: Did the people I the car seem very flustered?
Roberto: The car continued the maneuver and then stopped on the shoulder on the other side of the road. While I was at the scene, the driver did not come out of the car. I did not have eye contact with the driver.
ST: What did Joe Anderson say to you?
Roberto: Joe mumbled some words; however, I couldn’t understand what he said.
ST: How long did it take before you got back on course?
Roberto: According to my Garmin Forerunner, I stopped for approximately 1 minute.
ST: Did you even care about the race at that time?
Roberto: My only thought when I saw Joe laying on the pavement in the middle of the road was to stop the traffic on route 3 because Joe was not able to get up by himself. Once a car with a flashing light stopped by, I continued the race. It was very hard for me to continue riding, but I was able to re-focus myself on the race and finish it.
ST: Did that experience make you more afraid to ride a bike?
Roberto: It made me be more cautious and attentive on the road; however, I will keep on riding. Today my bike group ride in Orono starts in two hours and I will not miss it.
ST: I think you ended up second in your age group anyway.
Roberto: Yes. This is a relatively small event.
ST: Have you talked to Joe Anderson since?
Roberto: After the accident I’ve communicated with Joe via Facebook but I’ve never met Joe in person. We live more than one hour away. We have a common friend, who is a physician in Belfast like Joe, who has kept me informed about Joe’s recovery. I look forward to meet Joe and ride together.
ST: So what adventure is next for you?
Roberto: I will do the Trek Across Maine on June 13-15th (180 miles ride) with my cycling team Much Ado About Biking. Then, on July 12th I will do a 2.4 mile open water swim called Peaks to Portland. I will do again the Ironman 70.3 Timberman in August; and the Lobsterman Olympic distance triathlon in September. In September I will also participate in the Dempsey Challenge century ride for the third time.
ST: What about boating?
Roberto: I only do the annual the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe race with a friend, which has become a tradition; most of my canoeing is just recreational. Being in Maine I cannot miss the excitement of paddling the streams and lakes.
ST: Is there anything else we should know?
Roberto: Being active as a middle age person enables me to have more stamina and serenity in my job as a University professor and balance my life. Through my training and participation in triathlons I got to know wonderful people who share common fitness goals and take on similar active challenges.
