As any sports aficionado will tell you, there are some moments in sport that stay with you. It may well be that Cadel Evans’ 2011 Tour de France win has another contender for clout for those who have been told, or told themselves, that they are out of the race.
Not-for-profit Harbison, a provider in the Southern Highlands of NSW, runs a cycling program for its residents called Motiview. While serving 240 seniors, at least 130 of whom are living with dementia, residents rode 47,033km in 24 days during their annual competition in 2024.
For the seniors who have participated in the program, the benefits hit every metric imaginable. Physical and psychosocial markers have risen positively, as steep as any Alp peak in the Tour. With academic-led research and anecdotal evidence as packed as any peloton, Harbison is in the saddle to bring the cost-effective, results-driven program to as many providers and seniors as possible.
Quality over rote
Cochran, as his executive and front-line staff will attest, is consistently buzzing with fervour to deliver quality over quantity of care. For that, he knew creativity, innovation and a little pinch of risk would be needed.
Going out on a limb, he found himself unexpectedly getting into the saddle. He knew he needed a program that would cut through red tape to deliver a rights-based offering, while being cost-effective and, quite simply, not lame.
As any provider executive and lifestyle coordinator will confirm, seniors are older, not obtuse. They are profoundly capable and, understandably, resist programs that are described as good for them. The litmus test follows. Most adults outside residential care, when told something is good for them, will promptly do the opposite. Yes indeed, another cupcake please.
What Cochran found during his last week on a search trip in Denmark, beside a pot plant in a hotel lobby, completely changed life and lifestyle at Harbison.
On a tiny laptop he saw a group of seniors on stationary bikes in front of a television screen, with beautiful footage moving at the pace of an average cyclist. Cochran said, “Stop the video, how do I get this?”
Cochran is magnanimous in saying, “I had no idea what I was doing, it was a hunch.” But all sectors need a visionary to take the risk. Because Cochran did, he has been able to prove just how incredible the Motiview cycling program can be.
“While it was a hunch, even just watching the video of the seniors participating and the look on people’s faces, I knew this was something,” he said.
He had a gut feeling that quality was there. Having been awarded Operator of the Year, Facility of the Year and Innovation of the Year (Dementia Empowerment) at the 2025 Eldercare Innovation Awards, that quality has been recognised sector wide. So too has the potential for results and, most importantly, fun.
Fun
Business and clinical strategy should never underestimate the power of fun. Cyndi Lauper says girls just want to have fun, and so do seniors, front-line staff and aged care executives. In fact, everyone wants to have fun. So why not put fun at the centre of provider aged care service strategy?
One outcome is clear. Data-backed and rich with anecdotal proof, the Motiview program at Harbison is very, very fun.
Cochran knew that in order to give the program a chance, he could not come in with executive authority saying, this is good for you. He says once it was in the lifestyle team’s hands, they understood it straight away and persuaded one resident to give it a try.
The flexibility and inclusivity of the program is showcased in who was the first resident to put up her hand.
One resident with advanced Parkinson’s disease was the first to try it. Everyone was nervous and strong safety measures were put in place. Now staff laugh at how fantastic the experience has been.
They set up the bike in front of a small television screen. The quality did not do justice to the high definition videos, but she did not care. The Motiview team had flown someone to the Southern Highlands to film local areas, which was important because familiar sites help trigger memories for people living with dementia.
“The guy only made three films but they were beautiful. Our resident sat on the adaptive therapy bike, pedalling with her hands because she could not use her legs. The first video that came on showed her former front door,” Cochran said.
“It was an astonishing and moving moment. She was in tears. She had not seen her front door since moving into Harbison.”
He remembers, “It was an emotional release. Very quickly it became not about exercise. The physical activity faded into the background and she and others forget they are even exercising.”
“We have a hilarious problem. Since the first resident tried it, uptake has exploded. We are often amazed at how frequently residents use the bikes and how much exercise they are getting. Families joke that they have to buy smaller pants because their loved ones are getting into such good shape.”
Cochran adds, “Forty bikes is not enough. I still do not have enough bikes for demand. Even during the pandemic we realised we were on to something great because we could split the bikes into compartments and continue safely.”
“We sailed through the pandemic. Residents stayed healthy and morale was maintained. People still had meaningful activity without fuss.”
Extensive benefits
Australian studies show residents in residential aged care are inactive 85 per cent of the time. This inactivity contributes to poorer psychological and physical health outcomes, declining wellbeing and premature mortality.
Now one of Cochran’s challenges is fielding complaints about buying smaller sports shorts because residents have lost weight, become more active and want to walk around the facility.
A key feature of the program is the annual virtual cycling race called Road Worlds for Seniors. Forget the Tour de France. With more than 7,000 seniors participating across 13 countries, Cochran jokes it is likely the largest annual international sporting event in the world.
Harbison introduced Motiview in Australia in 2018. In the first annual event, residents called themselves the Slow Speed Demons and completed 261km over 26 days. Six years later, residents completed 47,033km in 24 days and won Crew of the Year for the second time.
Cochran, front-line staff and residents are thrilled. It is the most popular program at the facility, with more than 50 per cent of residents using it regularly throughout the year.
He went looking for a simple, cheap and scalable program that could reduce boredom, helplessness and loneliness while boosting health metrics. He found it.
The proof is in the pedal. Harbison set out to prove it could work. It has, and then some.
Uptake has continued to grow. “This year we had two residents who did more than 4,000km each. We had a 104-year-old who did more than 2,000km,” Cochran said.
A very different experience of aged care
The Motiview program uses stationary exercise bikes and a video library to create a semi-immersive experience that stimulates physical, social and cognitive activity.
Residents at Harbison enjoy exploring places around the world as much as cycling through cherished local streets. Because the program is adaptive, it has been tailored for Australian residents.
Multiple bikes connect to one screen, making it social as well as physical. Residents have cycled around the Eiffel Tower and past local shops. Those with mobility challenges face no barriers, as adaptive bikes allow anyone to participate.
Unlike a traditional gym environment, it requires no additional staff and functions primarily as a social activity. Residents also experience independence by supervising their own sessions, which fosters empowerment.
The program has been gamified. Each resident has a profile and kilometres are tracked. Staff describe friendly rivalry and laughter as residents compete on the leaderboard.
Spunk and competitive spirit do not diminish with age. Residents care about the race because they have something meaningful to work towards. The joy generated far exceeds what can be measured in studies.
What began as a practical combination of bikes and video has grown into something much greater.
One resident who arrived at 99 years old was withdrawn and believed his time was near. Staff placed a bike in his room so he could use it privately.
Five years later, at 104, he was a daily user and completed 2,000km in the annual race. He regained mobility, became socially connected and was known as the life of the party.
“He passed away peacefully in his sleep after the race,” Cochran said.
Family members expressed gratitude for the five years of meaningful life the program gave him.
Research
Harbison partnered with Dr Ruth Brookman from Western Sydney University to study the annual Road Worlds for Seniors event.
The research found that what began as physical exercise evolved into multiple physical, psychosocial and social wellbeing benefits.
Quality of life improved quickly. Within weeks of participation, measurable benefits were recorded.
The study established that Motiview improved mobility, independence and reduced depression among residents.
Surprisingly, social network measurements showed benefits extended beyond residents to staff and families. Connections strengthened across the wider community.
Staff turnover has also declined. It has dropped from 30 per cent to 15 per cent since the program was introduced. Cochran says Motiview has helped recruit and retain younger staff and created vibrant intergenerational teams.
Data and story backed
The numbers show the program has been strategically worthwhile.
Cochran says he is passionate about sharing the results. Five providers across Australia have adopted the program, and it is now expanding into Japan.
“All of us want a good end, but more importantly we want a good life in the precious time we have. As providers, how do we deliver the best life? Let us focus on the upside risks,” he said.
Motiview continues to grow in participation and impact.
“One resident with atypical Parkinson’s tried the bike after nothing else had worked. Months later his GP called to say his tremors had improved,” Cochran said.
The resident’s estranged brother contacted the facility after hearing about the improvement. The brothers reunited after decades apart.
“They remembered as boys they had loved cycling. The brother now volunteers to help with the Motiview program,” Cochran said.
What started as simple pragmatics has become a movement grounded in evidence, connection and joy.
