The week's good news: February 15, 2018

Chris Mazdzer competes in the Winter Olympics.

(Image credit: Clive Mason/Getty Images)

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1. 79-year-old learns how to drive so he can finally chauffeur his wife around
2. Russian Olympic luger offers American rival his sled in gesture of kindness
3. Man walks 2,500 miles to raise money for Parkinson's research
4. Coworkers surprise single dad who walked 11 miles to work with his own car
5. Roller coaster fan convinces Space Mountain designer to go for one last ride

published 15 February 2018

1. 79-year-old learns how to drive so he can finally chauffeur his wife around

For several decades, Keith Limbert's wife drove him wherever he needed to go, and now, it's his turn to be the chauffeur. Married for 58 years, Keith and Anne Limbert live in West Yorkshire, England, and although he took driving lessons when he was younger, Keith never ended up getting his license. Anne was happy to drive him around town, but when she suffered a stroke in 2015, she had to hang up her car keys. That's when Keith, 79, decided it was time to take over the driving duties, enrolling in driver's ed. "She has looked after me long enough and I think it's about time for me to look out for her now," he told the U.K.'s Metro. Now licensed, Keith takes Anne to more than just doctor's appointments — they also enjoy parking the car so they can "watch the world go by."

An act of kindness helped Chris Mazdzer take silver at the Winter Olympics. The American luger fell into a rut before the Games and slid down the world rankings. But while training in Latvia a few weeks ago, a Russian luger offered Mazdzer his sled — something lugers never do — saying it might give him a boost. That display of "friendship was really moving," Mazdzer told Reuters. "It shows we care about each other and there is this human connection which crosses countries and cultures and sport is an amazing way to accomplish it." The sled proved too small, but the gesture kicked Mazdzer out of his slump. He improved his times, and this week became the first American man to win a luge medal at the Olympics.

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Over the course of 67 days, Bill Bucklew walked across eight states — Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California — to raise money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, bringing in more than $120,000. Six years ago, Bucklew, then 43, was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's. He's always enjoyed running marathons and climbing mountains, and this 2,594-mile trek was just as exciting. He was joined during some stretches by other people with Parkinson's, and the walk included many memorable moments: In Texas, it rained for "11 hours straight" during one leg, and during a windstorm, "a giant mailbox flew right over my head," he told Today. He started Nov. 24 in Georgia, and by the time he reached San Diego on Jan. 31, Bucklew had worn through 26 pairs of shoes and lost 42 pounds.

For seven months, Trenton Lewis would walk 11 long miles to work, getting up way before dawn in order to arrive on time for his 4 a.m. shift. A single father to 14-month-old Karmen, he never told his coworkers he didn't have a car, because "my pride is strong," he told CNN, and he would do whatever necessary to provide for his child. Despite his attempt to keep this under wraps, coworker Patricia "Mama Pat" Bryant found out Lewis was walking to and from work, and she quietly came up with a plan: She would raise enough money to buy Lewis a car. Their colleagues pitched in, and surprised Lewis at work with a 2006 Saturn Ion. He thanked everyone for their support and promised he was "never going to forget this, ever." As for his first trip, it was to pick up Karmen so they could eat lunch together.

It has been more than 40 years since Bill Watkins designed Disneyland's Space Mountain, and he can still remember everything it entailed — from finding the right material for the wheels to the math he used for the fastest curves. Watkins, 87, was the first person to ever go on the ride when it opened in 1977, but he hadn't been on it for 13 years. That changed last week, when Disneyland opened early so he and his new friend Kyle King could go on a private journey through space. King became inspired by Watkins' work after reading about him as a child, and told him he needed to go on just one more ride, for old times' sake. After hurtling through the galaxy for what was supposed to be the last time, the suddenly sentimental Watkins wasn't quite ready to leave yet. "Can we go again?" he asked.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.