What a delightful and inspiring read! Go Betty! Go Julia!
I recently started taking swimming lessons (at 52) and am working toward dropping the fear of water. Never too late! I also joined the gym to regain my fitness after my depression and trauma wrecked through my body like a tsunami. Never too late! I realized that once I started, I keep wanting to go back! 💪 It just feels super good to do this 100% for myself, to reclaim and rebuild my new single life!
Excellent article!! And loved the aerial silks photo!! Nicely done. Thought you might want to add Greta Pontarelli to your list. She is a 70 year old pole dance champion. Again women rock!!!! 🥰🥰🥰
Loved reading this, Julia. Staying fit and strong is imperative to aging well (and living a long time). What an inspiration all of the people you presented are - I'm encouraged and uplifted. Thank you.
You are one of my sheroes in this regard too, Nurit. I am still battling with feet that don't work very well, and no idea if that will ever improve. But I sure am grateful I'm still upright. Huge hugs your way and thank you for the support.
The mind leads, John. Once we decide, the body will follow, albeit it might take its time, and depending on how long it's been it might take a lot of time. Patience is the word. Fellow Substacker @Penny Nelson started at 73 and she was steady as she goes for the last few years and has seen real progress and improvement across the board. So many great stories.
Great read, and inspiring. My entire goal in life is to stay in motion. It's not always easy and I've had to drastically modify, but staying fluid and moving (even the small goals) keep me smiling and grateful, even for the small wins.
I swim, ride my bike, hike, walk, and lift weights. No more competing except with self. That was the trick for me. Otherwise I was plagued with injuries trying to do what I used to do. It was painful to accept but I was lucky. The acceptance has now morphed to gratitude.
I like the idea that the competition is us. The success is not in beating someone else, but in finding joy and happiness in the activity and improving our physical abilities. That is success!
I'm impressed, to say the least. What I can say for myself is that while I don't consider myself an athlete I am very disciplined and consistent about exercist -- and any day when I don't feel like it I remind myself that I'm making an investment in my present and my future.
I love this article, Julia! Your point is so well-taken. In the race of life, all we can do is take the best care of ourselves, which includes staying active. I enjoy going to the gym, knowing it's not a competition with others there, but a competition with myself. And I enjoy competing with myself. As you know, I'm an artist, and the very art of painting keeps me feeling great. One can accomplish great things at any age, and your profile of Betty proves that.
I loved reading every part of this. It is so absolutely inspiring. I used to be out long distance, competitive swimmer and it keep saying I’m gonna get back to it. I did once and I had a swimming companion 25 years younger than me for open water swimming , and then she went on to move to San Francisco the English channel
I’m not that ambitious. I just wanna get back in the water at 67.
Reading things like this is just perfect
Thank you for doing the research and the writing. I bet it was fun. !!!
Prajna, I realized recently that sometimes we morph away from something we previously loved, although we're still so identified with it that it's hard to imagine not being that again. It may be you get back to it. It may be that something different is calling. I sure didn't see adventure travel and yet, it happened. I try to stay open, because there are certain doors that closed for me because of repair work. Some of them are closed forever, like aerial silks, because those require fully functional hands. I don't have those any more, so...something else. I can't wait to find out!
Beautiful, my daughter who has a disability does Ariel silks the other one is a surface performer so I know how hard both of those activities are and exciting and requires so much strength.
The first time I used swimming sober up and I was a bunch younger but now I want to do it again because I Love open water swimming commune with nature
Ive been busy being mom-my home together with my girls, I’ve been doing hot yoga in the meantime, but I wanna be outdoors so badly
We’ll see, good luck with your repair work. One door closes eventually another one opens.
What a delightful and inspiring read! Go Betty! Go Julia!
I recently started taking swimming lessons (at 52) and am working toward dropping the fear of water. Never too late! I also joined the gym to regain my fitness after my depression and trauma wrecked through my body like a tsunami. Never too late! I realized that once I started, I keep wanting to go back! 💪 It just feels super good to do this 100% for myself, to reclaim and rebuild my new single life!
So very much to celebrate in this comment, Louisa. Very happy for all of it!
Thank you, Julia. High five 🙌
Good for you, Louisa! You are right: it's never too late. Good for you for facing your fears.
Thank you, Beth! 🤗
Love this , I write this as I ought to be on my way for my morning swim 🏊 a few minutes to say Thankyou I love your stories .x
Thank you so much Fiona!
Excellent article!! And loved the aerial silks photo!! Nicely done. Thought you might want to add Greta Pontarelli to your list. She is a 70 year old pole dance champion. Again women rock!!!! 🥰🥰🥰
https://youtu.be/SlxWFg_p8F0?si=ENACgJynhqSYyqj_
I"ll use that in another piece and thank you!
Loved reading this, Julia. Staying fit and strong is imperative to aging well (and living a long time). What an inspiration all of the people you presented are - I'm encouraged and uplifted. Thank you.
You are one of my sheroes in this regard too, Nurit. I am still battling with feet that don't work very well, and no idea if that will ever improve. But I sure am grateful I'm still upright. Huge hugs your way and thank you for the support.
The bodybuilding over 60 quote could even more readily apply to training the mind. I am all about that but trying to bring my body along 73.
The mind leads, John. Once we decide, the body will follow, albeit it might take its time, and depending on how long it's been it might take a lot of time. Patience is the word. Fellow Substacker @Penny Nelson started at 73 and she was steady as she goes for the last few years and has seen real progress and improvement across the board. So many great stories.
Great read, and inspiring. My entire goal in life is to stay in motion. It's not always easy and I've had to drastically modify, but staying fluid and moving (even the small goals) keep me smiling and grateful, even for the small wins.
Model Lauren Hutton said in her sixties that her secret was to constantly move. She was also a swimmer.
I swim, ride my bike, hike, walk, and lift weights. No more competing except with self. That was the trick for me. Otherwise I was plagued with injuries trying to do what I used to do. It was painful to accept but I was lucky. The acceptance has now morphed to gratitude.
Isn’t it wonderful when we cease comparing to others. One reader sent me this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlxWFg_p8F0
about the pole dancer. I can’t do that and never will, not after hand surgery. But am I delighted and impressed and motivated? DAMN RIGHT.
Wow!! I passed the video along to a couple friends of mine for inspiration. Thanks, it's fantastic!
I like the idea that the competition is us. The success is not in beating someone else, but in finding joy and happiness in the activity and improving our physical abilities. That is success!
I'm impressed, to say the least. What I can say for myself is that while I don't consider myself an athlete I am very disciplined and consistent about exercist -- and any day when I don't feel like it I remind myself that I'm making an investment in my present and my future.
Thank you Jan. I don’t think you give yourself nearly enough credit.
I love this article, Julia! Your point is so well-taken. In the race of life, all we can do is take the best care of ourselves, which includes staying active. I enjoy going to the gym, knowing it's not a competition with others there, but a competition with myself. And I enjoy competing with myself. As you know, I'm an artist, and the very art of painting keeps me feeling great. One can accomplish great things at any age, and your profile of Betty proves that.
There are so very many good, brave people who are taking on such marvelous things as they age, Beth. So much inspiration.
In most cases, the body can do more than the mind will let it.
I would agree!
The 'face plant' looks exceedingly graceful from where I'm sitting.
Thanks so much….My instructor walked away just about the time I lost my form!
Hey Julia,
I loved reading every part of this. It is so absolutely inspiring. I used to be out long distance, competitive swimmer and it keep saying I’m gonna get back to it. I did once and I had a swimming companion 25 years younger than me for open water swimming , and then she went on to move to San Francisco the English channel
I’m not that ambitious. I just wanna get back in the water at 67.
Reading things like this is just perfect
Thank you for doing the research and the writing. I bet it was fun. !!!
Prajna, I realized recently that sometimes we morph away from something we previously loved, although we're still so identified with it that it's hard to imagine not being that again. It may be you get back to it. It may be that something different is calling. I sure didn't see adventure travel and yet, it happened. I try to stay open, because there are certain doors that closed for me because of repair work. Some of them are closed forever, like aerial silks, because those require fully functional hands. I don't have those any more, so...something else. I can't wait to find out!
Beautiful, my daughter who has a disability does Ariel silks the other one is a surface performer so I know how hard both of those activities are and exciting and requires so much strength.
The first time I used swimming sober up and I was a bunch younger but now I want to do it again because I Love open water swimming commune with nature
Ive been busy being mom-my home together with my girls, I’ve been doing hot yoga in the meantime, but I wanna be outdoors so badly
We’ll see, good luck with your repair work. One door closes eventually another one opens.
💚🌹💜