At age 95, competitive paddler Mike Fremont continues to hit the water three times a week

It's 7:15 a.m. when Glendale resident Mike Fremont arrives to stage his canoe near Winton Woods Lake. While many people are just waking, he and other members of his ambitious group take to the water every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to competitively paddle three miles. Their level of commitment is especially impressive given the group's demographics: They're the Elderly Paddlers Association (EPA), and Mike Fremont is 95. "The group itself is rigidly unstructured," Fremont said. "We don't have meetings, we don't have minutes and we don't have rules." Earlier in the month, 10 members of the EPA participated in the 2017 USCA National Marathon Championships in Dubuque, Iowa. In their age groups of 55 and older, members took home a first-, second- and third-place medal for their respective races. This came on the heels of five medals the group took home for statewide competition. Fremont said he was especially proud of their performance in Dubuque despite hazardous waves created by boat traffic on the Mississippi. "It was the perfect day, cool and sunny – that's what brought all the speed boats out," he said. "Everyone was really pleased with the results. They had no idea how they'd do on the national scene." The group's strong finish isn't surprising, said Paddlefest founder and paddling enthusiast Brewster Rhoads. People often think 20-something folks will dominate competitions, but the more seasoned racers tend to prevail, he said.