Growing Bolder Magazine: Vol. 36

SP E E D C IT I IO AL N

The Villages, FL May 30

C O M E S E E U S AT T H E AT H L E T E V I L L AG E !

O R D I N A RY P E O P L E L I V I N G E X T R AO R D I N A RY L I V E S

Albuquerque, NM in partnership with The National Senior Games June 18

T I C K E T S AT G R O W I N G B O L D E R . C O M/ L A U N C H PA D

SPRING 2019 $ 9.9 9 G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

1

2

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

©Disney ABD-18-394798 CST 2082519-20

The best education in the world?

That’d be the world.

Adventures by Disney® can show you the world in ways you’ve never thought possible.

We’re a leader in guided group family travel, with active itineraries and VIP access throughout Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and the Americas.

Visit AdventuresByDisney.com or contact your local Travel Agent. facebook.com/AdventuresByDisney

Machu Picchu, Peru G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

3

CONTENTS

24 Photo by Jim Hobart

43

Photo courtesy of Jenn Ross

features 16

NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES The largest multi-sport event in the world for people 50 and over

24

MASTERS SPORTS Masters athletes find fun, friendship and new possibilities

special section: book excerpt GROWING BOLDER: DEFY THE CULT OF YOUTH, LIVE WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE

68 4

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Getty Images

49 THE GROWING BOLDER GENESIS

How Marc Middleton became

a man on a mission to

Rebrand Agingâ„¢

SPRING 2019

in every issue

finance

6 10 12

18

78

92

94

70

79 89

PUBLISHER'S NOTE CONTRIBUTORS YOUR TAKE Readers weigh in on traveling with grandkids GROWING BOLDER WITH Big names, bold lives 5 QUESTIONS Kenny Rogers on family, friendship and philanthropy THE TAKEAWAY Kareem Abdul-Jabaar finds meaning in the mundane GROWING BOLDER STYLE From political refugee to polished social entrepreneur

defy 76

74

43

44

FROM GOOD INTENTIONS TO NEW HABITS Take action to maintain health and independence CHARGE FORWARD Ruben Gonzalez’s goal of becoming the oldest Olympian ever BELIEVING IN VEGAN Overcoming fear and skepticism to follow a dream FLYING HIGH AT 95 Tuskegee airman Richard Hall brings people together

heal 20

36

40

80

88

SAVOR THE SEASON Experiment with the fresh, bright flavors of vegan “ceviche” HE’S FOUND HIS MATCH Dr. Robert Masson races to redesign procedure for Be the Match® WHAT’S IN A NAME? Understanding ‘well-being’ and whole health FROM HEART TRANSPLANT TO BRONZE MEDAL Lifelong athlete finds new inspiration in second chance SQUEEZE YOUR LIFE Maximize your healthy years through compressed morbidity

create 46

60

62

BENOIT’S BIG DREAM How Benoit Glazer’s love of music transformed his life TRIUMPH OF RORY KENNEDY Turning despair into compassion and creativity through filmmaking RETURN TO DOWNTON ABBEY Hugh Bonneville reflects on lessons from the Earl of Grantham

DEVELOP A PLAN TO AGE IN PLACE Modify your home and lifestyle to meet changing needs FINDING YOUR PASSION CAREER TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH FOR PEACE OF MIND Top 6 life planning considerations for 2019

travel 14

54

85

STRENGTH TO TRAVEL WITH EASE Prepare for active travel with these three exercises EXPATS Access to quality healthcare for expat retirees NO RESERVATION Award-winning Peruvian cuisine at Chez Wong

transform 22

32

48

52

THE TIME IS NOW Amy Sweezey made her dream come true with daily progress COMMUNITY OF CONTAGIOUS POSITIVITY Growing Bolder Ambassadors are spreading the good news POWER OF VISUALIZATION How Barbara Corcoran achieves her dreams ON THE ROAD TO REINVENTION Celebrating 50 years of Kerouac

connect 58

64

68

LONELY NO MORE Finding community through fitness MY DEAR BOY Joanie Schirm’s new book explores a family WWII legacy BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE Legacy Life Project preserves family stories

ON THE COVE R Cycling is among 20 medal sports offered by the biennial National Senior Games, the largest multisport event in the world for people 50 and over.

While competition is as fierce as any sporting competition, senior athletes believe they are all winning because they are pursuing healthy, active lifestyles with other like-minded people in a spirit of fitness, fun and fellowship.

Photo: Jessica Gallagher

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

5

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

It’s been a crazy (good) time at Growing Bolder recently. I write about our love for masters sports in this issue; and, spoiler alert, it has very little to do with the sport itself.

It’s been a crazy (good) time at Growing Bolder recently. I write about our love for masters sports in this issue; and, spoiler alert, it has very little to do with the sport itself. Our interest is grounded in our belief that a shared passion for life, expressed through activities that require movement, dedication, socialization and focus is the surest path to health and wellbeing and the most effective path to recovery. Recovery from what? Anything. Everything. It really doesn’t matter.

It’s this shared passion, and the large and growing community that has formed around all masters sports, that is drawing us to the 2019 National Senior Games this June in Albuquerque, N.M. While we might report a result or two, we’re not all that interested in who wins or loses. To us, this biannual event is more of a celebration than a competition, because every one of the 10,500 competitors is a winner simply by his or her participation.

We’re going to 2019 National Senior Games because every participant has a unique story to tell and an important lesson to teach.

What kind of stories will we tell? The answer to that takes me back to 1980 when I was hired as an on-air sportscaster in Phoenix. The news director called me into his office on my first day and said something totally unexpected. “Do not cater to the hardcore sports fans,” he said. “I don’t want you talking about statistics or game strategy. Your job is to keep Mrs. Jones (his term for their average viewer) from getting up and going to the kitchen when your sports segment begins. The hardcore sports fans will like anything that has to do with sports. Capture Mrs. Jones’ attention and you triple your audience. Make non-sports fans care about your sports segment, and you’ve got a career.”

6

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

TAKING THE SHOW ON THE ROAD

Many young sportscasters would have been confused and frustrated. I was thrilled and liberated because it aligned perfectly with a personal desire that I thought I would have to suppress in order to be successful.

While the competition was doing a story on the star quarterback, I did a story on the star quarterback’s mom.

When they focused on the best team in the tournament and how they celebrated wins, I zeroed in on the team that had never won a game and why they loved to play. I made the moral of the story, the story.

That philosophy will guide us in Albuquerque. We’ll tell stories that are more about heart than muscle, stories of recovery and redemption, stories that have a message we can all learn from whether we ever engage in sports or not -- stories that would appeal to Mrs. Jones.

We’re excited that our pal and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Rowdy Gaines, will join us in Albuquerque as part of the Growing Bolder team. Before Rowdy covers his seventh Olympics for NBC, he’ll cover his first National Senior Games for Growing Bolder!

Rowdy will also be among the many Growing Bolder friends and contributors participating in another new initiative we’re excited to share.

Late last year, Growing Bolder entered and won a national contest to produce a new pledge program for American Public Television. We pitched a program called “Launchpad to What’s Next” because there now exists an entirely new life stage—the potential for two, three and even four decades of active life beyond what’s considered normal retirement age. This prospect both excites and worries us all.

We all wonder how we can turn these bonus decades into a

time that’s filled with passion, purpose and possibility.

How can we reinvent ourselves, remain healthy and mentally sharp? How can we make sure that we don’t run out of money before we run out of time? In short, we all wonder: What’s next?

“Launchpad to What’s Next” features some of the biggest names in health, fitness, finance and more answering the biggest questions, addressing the biggest fears and inspiring the kind of lifestyle that empowers active longevity.

It’s a fast-paced motivational seminar, educational summit and entertainment extravaganza; and it’s coming to national television later this year.

And here’s the new twist. We’re turning “Launchpad to What’s Next” into a live nationwide tour. The first “Launchpad to What’s Next LIVE!” is May 30, 2019, in the beautiful Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center in The Villages, Fla. The second stop on the tour is June 18, 2019 in Albuquerque, N.M. at the historic Kimo Theater as part of the National Senior Games. More information about both shows, including a list of speakers, is on pages 34-35. We’ll publish the complete tour schedule as well as our participating experts (including a rock and roll hall-of-famer!) soon on GrowingBolder.com.

We’ve got big plans for the next year and hope you do too, because that’s Growing Bolder.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

7

Volume 36 FOUNDER AND PUBLISHER Marc Middleton EDITOR IN CHIEF Jackie Carlin EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Emily Thompson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ashley Heafy EXECUTIVE EDITOR Randy Noles FEATURES DIRECTOR Bill Shafer SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Katy Widrick PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jill Middleton TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR Joshua Doolittle EDITORIAL SPECIAL FEATURES Emily Thompson, Bobby Wesley VIDEO PRODUCER Jason Morrow, Michael Nanus CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ACTIVE LONGEVITY Roger Landry, M.D., M.P.H. PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION Amy Sweezey AGE IN PLACE Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph.D. CAREER DESIGN Christy Wilson-Delk ESSAYS Bob Kealing HEALTHY AGING Kay Van Norman NUTRITION Colette Haw LIFE PLANNING Helen Von Dolteren-Fournier CFP®, J.D., SPHR FUNCTIONAL FITNESS Dan Ritchie, Ph.D. GROWING BOLDER PRESS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Marc Middleton PRESIDENT Robert Thompson SUBSCRIPTIONS For subscriber information or address changes visit GrowingBolder.com/subscribe, or email subscriptions@growingbolder.com NEWSLETTERS To sign up for Growing Bolder's weekly newsletter, go to GrowingBolder.com/newsletter COMMENTS Contact us via social media @GrowingBolder or email us at feedback@GrowingBolder.com ADVERTISING AND MEDIA SALES For information about advertising and sponsorships email sales@GrowingBolder.com GROWING BOLDER IS PUBLISHED BY GROWING BOLDER PRESS Editorial Content ©GrowingBolder. Growing Bolder is a registered trademark of Bolder Broadcasting Inc. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents of this magazine without written permission for the Publisher is prohibited. Growing Bolder Publishing makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all published content. Neither the publisher nor advertisers will be held responsible for any errors found herein and the publisher accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by advertisers in ad and/or paid promotional features.

The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Growing Bolder Publishing. Growing Bolder Publishing does not endorse or recommend any article, product, service or information found within the articles. All content is presented for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional, legal, financial or medical advice. Growing Bolder Publishing expressly disclaims and denies any liability for any decisions made based upon the information presented.

8

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

9

CONTRIBUTORS

R O G E R L A N D RY, M . D . , M . P. H .

Roger Landry, M.D., M.P.H. is a preventative-medicine physician and author. He is president of Masterpiece Living, a group of specialists in multiple aging-related disciplines who partner with communities to assist them in becoming destinations for continued growth. Dr. Landry specializes in building environments that empower older adults to maximize their unique potential.

CHRIST Y WILSON DELK

Christy Wilson Delk is a business professor at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., as well as a contributing franchise industry writer. Delk is a franchise educator. She consults, leads workshops and gives presentations about how to achieve greater performance and success through the franchise business model.

C O L L E T T E H AW

Chef Collette Haw studied at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America.

After training in some of the country’s most-honored restaurants, she became a personal chef for celebrities. She launched her own business, Collette’s Clean Eats, to provide healthy, prepared meals for busy families. She is now partnering with the Winter Park Health Foundation to launch Nourish Coffee Bar + Kitchen in the new Center for Health & Wellbeing.

BOB KEALING

Bob Kealing is an award-winning author and historic preservationist.

He is a six-time Emmy recipient and two-time winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award. He has co-founded three Florida landmarks and is the author of four books on pre-Disney history and culture in Florida.

K AY VA N N O R M A N

Kay Van Norman is president of Brilliant Aging and an internationally known author, writer and thought leader in healthy aging. Her passion is uncovering hidden barriers so that people can move from intending to age well into taking actions that will help ensure that they age well.

10

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

AMY SWEEZEY

Amy Sweezey is an award-winning broadcast meteorologist and mom of three. For more than 20 years, she has delivered daily forecasts on television and spoken to countless groups of children about weather. Sweezey has authored two children's books with a third due out in late 2019. She lives in Central Florida with her family.

D E R R E C K K AYO N G O

Derreck Kayongo was named a 2011 CNN Hero for his work as founder of the Global Soap Project. Kayongo and his family fled Uganda as political refugees when he was a child. He went on to become CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Ga. A sought-after speaker, Kayongo’s inspiring 2014 TED Talk and hundreds of media interviews teach audiences about the displacement of civil war.

J O S E P H F. C O U G H L I N , P H . D .

Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph.D. is director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab. A best-selling author, his research examines how the disruptive demographics of an aging society, social trends and technology will shape future innovations in business and government. He’s a regular guest on major media outlets worldwide.

DA N R I T C H I E

Dan Ritchie, Ph.D., is co-founder and president of the Functional Aging Institute, which certifies trainers worldwide to safely and successfully work with older clients. He’s an author and speaker with expertise in personal training for special populations: athletes, stroke recovery, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia and Alzheimer’s disease.

H E L E N VO N D O LT E R E N - FO U R N I E R C F P ®, J . D . , S P H R

Helen Von Dolteren-Fournier CFP®, J.D., SPHR is the founding member of the AEGIS Advisors, an independent boutique firm specializing in making sense out of life-planning strategies. She shares her 20 years of financial planning and legal experience as a prolific speaker on topics including life planning, retirement choices, aging parents and estate planning.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

11

YOUR TAKE

Have You Traveled with Your Grandkids?

Our Next “Your Take” Throughout this issue, you’ll meet masters athletes who say competing has brought them so much joy, fulfillment and friendship.

Have you discovered a new sport or activity as an adult? What is it and how has it changed your life?

Tell us at GrowingBolder.com/yourtake and your response could be featured in our next issue.

My maternal grandmother always took time out during the summer to gather all the grandchildren (eight) and take us on all kinds of excursions.

I was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in 2015. I had always wanted to take my kids and grandkids on a family vacation and decided it was now or never. We traveled to Turks and Caicos and spent the better part of the week having the time of our lives.

Last summer, I took my 10-year-old grandson to the Black Hills in South Dakota and Devil's Tower in Wyoming.

It was his first flight.

SHARON N.

ANGIE R.

Orrville, Ohio

Tampa, Fla.

DA R L E N E

My favorite trips with my grandson are hitting the local hiking trails. He’s my favorite hiking and adventure buddy.

My favorite trips were with my grandkids on the train...

They are now teens and are busy with their own lives, but I still have all those wonderful memories.

Minnesota

TERESA M

P

My grandmom would take me to New York City when I was little. I always remember the amazing toy store FAO Schwarz. I am 70 now. I take my granddaughters to the tea room, Disney, musicals, movies—anything that was done for me by my grandmom.

12

We started taking our grandchildren on a trip when they turned 13...Our current youngest grandchild is one, so we will be 72 when she is 13. Our goal is to stay healthy to keep this up!

NANCY M.

TINA L .

Cape Coral, Fla.

Plymouth Meeting, Pa.

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

GORDON M. Whatcom County, Wash.

EXPERT

CATARACT

SURGERY

SEE LIFE CLEARLY with expert surgical treatment for cataract from UCF. We take the time to understand your vision goals and customize a treatment plan that works best for you.

Dr. Mehul Patel specializes in refractive cataract surgery and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. He treats patients like family and takes pride in explaining things in a simple fashion to make sure patients not only receive a diagnosis, but also understand it.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT CALL 407-266-3627 (DOCS)

9975 Tavistock Lakes Blvd. • Orlando, FL 32827

Learn more at ucfhealth.com

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

13

STRENGTH TO TRAVEL WITH EASE Functional Fitness for Lower Body DA N R I T C H I E P H . D .

Functional fitness is not just about athletic performance. It’s also about functional ability and capacity. Each and every one of us is an athlete at some level. Some of you want to continue playing sports from pickleball to basketball, softball, golf and other lifetime sports. But what about the athletic ability to enjoy life with zest and adventure or race your grandchildren?

Imagine you are climbing the Spanish Steps in Rome— all 135 of them— with your family. You are almost to the top, when your grandchildren say, “Race you to the top,” and take off in a burst of giggles. You chase after them; and in a burst of energy, and to their astonishment, you not only catch them but pass them. But, of course, as you near the top you slow down and let them win. Everyone laughs and highfives, and together, you take in the marvelous view of the Piazza di Spagna at the top. You get to cross that one off the bucket list. But more importantly, you also get a special moment with your family that you can cherish forever.

Sounds great doesn’t it? What could be better? But what if you weren’t able to race up the stairs with your grandchildren because your body isn't fit and healthy enough? Because your joints ache. Because you just don’t have the energy. Because you were too worried that you would fall and either hurt yourself or embarrass yourself.

14

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

What if you had to walk so slowly and take so many breaks that the grandchildren were no longer having any fun because they were too bored waiting on you? What if you couldn’t even climb the steps at all and had to wait at the bottom while the rest of your family created that special memory—without you?

Let’s face it, the aging process can be unkind, and it wants to zap our bodies of stamina and vitality so that we aren’t able to enjoy special moments like these. Plus, we end up spending so much money taking care of our health needs that we no longer even have the money to travel and visit family like we want to do. It gets too expensive, and our bodies can’t handle it. This is exactly why we have focused our research and practice on functional fitness for what we call functional longevity. If there are things you can do every week that ensure you have the functional ability and capacity to age well and enjoy life in every decade wouldn’t you want to invest that time?

Here are three foundational exercises to help build and maintain the ability to move with ease. They will help with lower-body strength, power, agility, balance and center-ofgravity control. They will improve your athletic or functional ability. If these movements are new for you, start slowly with one set and work your way up to three sets.

Here are three foundational exercises to help build and maintain the ability to move with ease.

Perform each exercise for 12-15 reps or for 1-2 minutes, 3 times per week.

They will help with lower-body strength, power, agility, balance and center of gravity control. They will improve your athletic or functional ability. If these movements are new for you, start slowly with one set and work your way up to three sets.

The Faux Jump

Pretend you are going to explode up from the floor and jump, finishing on your toes.

1

2

3

The Pick-Up Exercise

1

2

3

Pick up an object off the floor and put it back down, rotating through three positions. First, place the object on the ground inside your foot. Second, move the object in front of your foot.

Third, move the object to the outside of your foot. Perform this sequence twice while keeping the same foot forward, just switch the object from one hand to the other. Then switch feet and repeat with the object in each hand again.

The Side-to-Side Hop and Shuffle Step

Ideally, you need a small-step platform for this exercise.

Lunge side to side over the step while reaching with your arms as if you are skating. For an additional challenge, add a hop over the step and finish by holding your inside leg in a march position.

1

2

3

Dan Ritchie received his Ph.D. in Kinesiology with a minor in Gerontology. from Purdue University. He’s the co-founder and president of the Functional Aging Institute with expertise in personal training for special populations: athletes, stroke recovery, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, etc. He regularly presents at national and regional conferences and has been active on committees for the American College of Sports Medicine.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

15

NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES

Fitness, Fun and Fellowship DEL MOON

The National Senior Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world for people 50 and over. Founded in 1987, these Olympic-style games are held in different host cities every two years. This June, more than 12,000 qualified athletes will come to Albuquerque, New Mexico to compete in 20 diverse sports ranging from archery to volleyball.

It would be easy to assume that the participants are all seasoned athletes focused on winning gold medals, since they have to qualify the previous year in one of 54 affiliated Member Games held around the country. But the real goal for most is to pursue an active, healthy lifestyle and enjoy the camaraderie of participating in an activity with other like-minded people.

“People of a broad age span and level of ability participate in the Senior Games,” says Marc T. Riker, CEO of the National Senior Games Association (NSGA). “Some are elite or career athletes, but many others have just reconnected with their sport activities or taken up a new sport in midlife or even later.”

“Everyone has a competitive spirit and strives for their best performance,” he continues, “but many are primarily motivated by the social, physical fitness and quality of life benefits they derive from participation. We characterize Senior Games as offering fitness, fun and fellowship.”

The commitment to advocate for healthy aging is ingrained into the DNA of NSGA. Its mission statement pledges “to promote health and wellness to adults 50 and over through education, fitness, and sport,” and the organization actively pursues partnerships and opportunities to motivate older adults to get moving and to keep moving throughout life. NSGA is the only sporting event with a fulltime health and wellness director, and its partners include the YMCA, American Council on Exercise, National Council on Aging, and the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, among others.

The “Great Eight”

Visit NSGA.com for more information.

16

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

The “Great Eight” are the athletes who have competed in every National Senior Games from 1987 through 2017. They exemplify the spirit of persevering through life’s challenges and obstacles to pursue their optimum health and well-being, which NSGA promotes as everyone’s “real personal best.” Read more about these amazing and dedicated athletes at NSGA.com/2017PB

Del Moon

We characterize Senior Games as offering fitness, fun and fellowship.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

17

GROWING BOLDER WITH Bill Nye is a science educator, mechanical engineer, best-selling author and host of the Emmy-nominated Bill Nye Saves the World on Netflix.

63

He’s also the CEO of the Planetary Society, co-founded by the late Carl Sagan, the esteemed astronomer and Nye’s former professor at Cornell University.

Nye is now inspiring people of all ages to open their minds to the wonders of science. He’s taking on such topics as evolution, climate change and the possibility of time travel.

He feels a sense of urgency to educate the public. “I direct my energies to work on TV to engage people to save the world,” he says. “The world will be here no matter what we do. But I want to save the world for humankind.”

Lately, Nye says he’s been thinking about thought leaders such as Thomas Jefferson and the Age of Enlightenment.

“We want people to grasp and embrace the process of science,” he says. “We use critical thinking to understand the world. The enlightenment guys were into designing a government based on the same ideas. We’re living in a time right now when the ideas of enlightenment are being set aside. But I believe they’ll bounce back very soon, because you can’t compete economically if you deny science and the process by which we know nature and our place in it.”

Courtesy Bill Nye

Marion Ross played the matriarch of the Cunningham family on the beloved TV show Happy Days. The show made her a superstar forever.

Yet it didn’t protect her from second-guessing her career, her marriage and her purpose. She reveals it all in her new memoir, My Days: Happy and Otherwise.

Following a divorce at age 40, Ross says she wondered how she’d survive as a newly single mom, let alone find success in life: “I couldn’t get a job. I couldn’t believe I’d hit the wall. I had to rent out a room in my house. I had to crawl back out.”.

Ross began by crawling but eventually soared by working tirelessly and drawing upon every connection she had or could make. She says she considered quitting acting and becoming a teacher, but her mother encouraged her to keep pursuing her dreams.

“My mother was a very positive, strong woman,” Ross says. “I was raised on ‘You can be anything.’ When you’re raised with high expectations and great hope, you can keep those feelings through life.”

Ross’s big break finally came at age 50 when she landed what was supposed to be a small role, that of of Marion Cunningham on Happy Days. By the end of its 11-year run, she was firmly and forever established as America’s mom.

“I’m very optimistic,” says Ross. “I always look on the bright side. Even these days, although I’ve officially retired from acting, I stay active, engaged and constantly ask myself: ‘How can we make something better out of this?’”

18

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Theo Wargo / Getty images

90

Chita Rivera is a national treasure. After more than 65 years in show business, this musical theater goddess is still going strong.

65

She’s a force of nature who originated some of the most iconic roles in Broadway history, including Rose in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma in Chicago, and, perhaps her most beloved role, Anita in West Side Story.

Since making her Broadway debut in 1951 at the age of 18, she’s come to represent the very best of the Great White Way. The 10-time Tony Award nominee (and two-time winner) is the first Latina to receive a Kennedy Center Honor. In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Just before her 84th birthday, Rivera added another major achievement — headlining her Carnegie Hall solo debut. Says Rivera of the experience: “The old saying goes, ‘How do you get to Carnegie Hall?’ ‘You practice.’ Well, I had a lot of time to practice for my first show at Carnegie Hall!”

Rivera adds that one of the keys to her longevity is surrounding herself with people and experiences she loves. That’s why she’s still touring the world, performing songs from some of her most memorable theatrical runs.

“I’ve been so inspired by so many people,” she says. “They’ve made me what I am today. I hope I can do the same thing for young dancers and young actors. I’d also love to inspire older people who think their lives are over and that they can’t do anything anymore. Of course you can! You just have to share it, care about it and do it.”

Laura Marie Duncan

During his legendary 14-year career in the NBA, Oscar “The Big O” Robertson set the gold standard for what it means to be an all-around player.

Whether he was scoring, assisting or picking up rebounds, he was the ultimate team player, Now, the NBA Hall-of-Famer wants to be on your team.

Diagnosed at the age of 72 with Stage III prostate cancer, Robertson opted to have his entire prostate removed via robotic surgery. Then he decided to go public with his story. In the years since his retirement, Robertson had been a fiercely private person. What compelled him to share such personal news?

“Some things you don’t keep a secret,” he says. “At first, I wanted to keep the fact that I’d had my prostate removed a secret. But then I realized that was the wrong direction.”

One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, Robertson notes: “My message? Go get your prostate checked so you’re not asking, ‘Why me?’ There’s a way out if you deal with the issue in time.”

Robertson didn’t just go public. He lent his star power to the International Prostate Cancer Foundation in Orlando, Florida, and partnered with his surgeon, Vipul Patel, M.D., to urge other men to get tested.

Although Robertson’s playing days being behind him, he’s not interested in sitting on the bench.

“I don’t want to retire,” he says. “I think everyone should have things to do, things to get up for, things to talk about. I don’t mind golf, but I wouldn’t want to play it all the time. If there’s something I can do that I enjoy and that helps people, then that’s how I want to spend my time.”

Allen Berezovsky / Stringer

80 G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

19

Savor the Season C O L L E T T E H AW

People think comfort foods and healthy foods are mutually exclusive, but that’s not true! I believe comfort foods are really what make you feel good.

When people think about healthy eating, they think, “Oh, I have to eat a salad for the rest of my life.” But there are so many other nutrientdense foods people can eat that aren’t raw kale or steamed vegetables.

Take this dish, for example. People usually associate ceviche with seafood, but I made this version using fresh, seasonal ingredients from my local farmer’s market.

Not only is it colorful to look at, thanks to the acid from the limes and grapefruit, it explodes in your mouth with fresh, bright flavors. The best part about a recipe like this is you can customize it to your tastes, or to whatever’s in season. Experiment and enjoy!

Spring Farmers Market "Ceviche" Salad Yield: 10 Servings Ingredients 1 ½ cup fresh frozen edamame or fresh garbanzo or lima beans 2 ½ teaspoons lime zest 2/3 cup fresh lime juice ¼ cup avocado oil 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced thinly 1 large shallot, thinly sliced 2 cups fresh corn off the cob 2 grapefruit, supreme 3 Hass avocados, cubed 1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced (yellow, red, orange) 3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced into wedges ¾ cup chopped cilantro Himalayan pink salt and fresh ground pepper to taste Directions If you’re using fresh, frozen, whole edamame, let the edamame thaw while you’re putting the rest of the recipe together. If you’re using fresh garbanzo or lima beans, remove them from the shell, blanch in boiling, salted water for 6-9 minutes and shock in an ice bath.

(Ice bath: Fill mixing bowl with ice, cover ice with water until it’s about 50 percent water.)

Combine the lime zest, lime juice and avocado oil in a small mixing bowl. Add the scallions, jalapeno and shallot and let it marinate in the vinaigrette while preparing the rest of the salad.

In a separate mixing bowl, add the fresh corn, grapefruit, avocados, bell peppers and cilantro. Lightly toss all those ingredients together, add the vinaigrette with the scallions, jalapeno and shallot to the bowl with the heirloom tomatoes and lightly toss once more.

Season to taste, and let the salad marinate in the fridge at least an hour before serving.

Nutrition facts (per serving):

Chef Collette Haw believes you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or convenience for healthy eating. With her classical French training from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Haw has unlocked innovative new ways to combine healthy eating with delicious food. She spent several years training in some of the country’s most-honored restaurants before embarking on a new path—becoming a personal chef for celebrities. The role inspired her to create healthy prepared meals for busy families, so she launched Collette’s Clean Eats. She’s now focused on partnering with the Winter Park Health Foundation to launch Nourish Coffee Bar + Kitchen in the new Center for Health & Wellbeing.

20

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Calories per serving: 118 Total fat: 3.6g Saturated fat: .4g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 58mg Carbohydrates: 19.9g Fiber: 4.4g Total Sugar: 6.1g Protein: 4.7g

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

21

THE TIME IS NOW Stop Waiting Until ‘Someday’ to Fulfill Your Dreams AMY SWEEZEY

I always wanted to write a book. As a journalism major in college, I’d written for newspapers, magazines, radio and television. There were no blogs then since the internet didn’t even exist; but if it had, I’d have probably been a blogger.

Writing was an enjoyable, creative outlet. I was a selfproclaimed member of the grammar police and a spellingbee champ. I loved to read. I loved words. How hard could it be? I could write a book. No problem. It would be my dream come true. Fresh out of college in my 20s with my first real job, I had lots of dreams and my whole life ahead of me.

And then, life happened.

Having an idea is almost always easier than making the idea a reality. It’s easy to dream. It’s harder to take the steps to make your dreams come true. Unlike Cinderella, we tend to let life get in the way of our dreams rather than to help us reach those dreams.

For me, I went from dating to marriage, then a new job and a big move. Next was three kids and another house. The hours at work were demanding. The mortgage was due.

There’s not enough sleep, not enough time, not enough energy. When life happens, the dreams get put on hold.

I loved my family. I loved my job. I wasn’t willing to give any of it up, so I decided, “I’ll write my book later—perhaps when I retire.”

I didn’t really see it as giving up my dream. I was simply putting it on hold. I wasn’t letting go of the idea. I was simply lowering its priority.

Through the years I jotted down notes. I put ideas on paper and thoughts in files. I kept in the back of mind that “one day I’ll write a book.”

22

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

I was several years into my 40s when a friend wrote a book. He self-published, which I didn’t even know existed. I asked a lot of questions. I researched. I Googled. I made lots and lots of lists. At some point my “ah-ha” moment came when I decided the time was now.

I could keep putting off the book until retirement, until I had more time, or I could start today. I told myself that making dreams come true could happen at any age—not just fresh out of college or at retirement.

So, I started writing. But more importantly, I started making my lists. It was about taking small steps and making my goals attainable little bits at a time. I couldn’t just put “write a book” on my bathroom mirror and stare at it every morning (I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the “dream board,” which has become quite popular).

was my trade-off. I didn’t have the luxury of moving to France for six months to simply write (like is often portrayed in movies).

Instead I had to make my dream fit my life. “Research book genres” and “email editors for samples” started showing up on my to-do list next to “do laundry” and “pick up kids from school.”

I’m sure you’ve heard the quote, “The days are long, but the years are short.” It was in a book. It’s in a country song.

There are even versions of it in Bible verses. It resonates with so many people that it’s become a cliché. If you haven’t heard it, it likely still has meaning to you. It sure does with me.

Just watch your kids. One day they’re in diapers and the next, they’re graduating from high school. While you’re elbow-deep in messy diapers, you think it will never end. And

I surrounded myself with encouragers and helpers and cut out the negativity.

I quickly realized that staring at pictures of book covers wasn’t going to get my book written. I had to take action.

The thing about taking action is you have to actually do the work. No one can do it for you. You have to make up your mind and then take steps. Make a list. Do the work. Make a little progress every day.

Other people can support you. Other people can encourage you. But other people can’t do the work for you. If you want to learn to golf, you have to take that lesson. If you want to lose 10 pounds, you have to stop eating that cookie for breakfast and walk that extra mile.

You can hire someone to clean your house. You can hire someone to cook your food. You can hire someone to help take care of your kids. But if you want to accomplish something for you, then you are the only one who can do it.

I surrounded myself with encouragers and helpers and cut out the negativity. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that I was too busy to write a book. I needed people to walk beside me and help ease the load so I could focus.

Working on my book in the middle of living my life and enjoying my family meant that the process was slower. That

Will it be hot or cold? Sunny or cloudy?

Have you ever wondered how forecasters on TV can tell what the weather will be? In Let’s Talk Weather, you’ll find answers to these questions and more, from the science behind the weather, to the tools and instruments used to measure it. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how broadcast meteorologists gather information and work to keep you safe during dangerous

LET’S TALK WEATHER

How do meteorologists predict the weather?

Why is the weather constantly changing?

weather, like tornadoes and hurricanes.

SWEEZEY SWEEZEY

is an award-winning Broadcast Meteorologist and mom of 3.

For more than 20 years, she has delivered daily forecasts on television and spoken to countless groups of children about weather. In her latest book, Let’s Talk Weather, Amy explains the science behind the forecast and the tools she uses for predicting weather changes. She lives in Central Florida with her family. You can find Amy at www.amysweezey.com

AMY SWEEZEY

AMY AMY

TV FORECASTING: BEHIND THE SCENES

AMY AMY

SWEEZEY SWEEZEY

yet, suddenly it does.

Like everyone else, I’m tired. I’m busy and overwhelmed and trying desperately to stop and smell the roses along the way. I’m in the stage of life where my kids are still needy. I chauffeur and I cook. I homeschool part-time. I wake up at 2 a.m. for my fulltime job. I have years left on my house payment.

My husband and I are too often ships that pass in the night rather than teammates who are doing life together. It takes a concentrated effort to enjoy life and family while not letting the years fly by.

Little bits at a time, I’m making my dreams come true. In 2015, I self-published my first children’s fiction book, It Never, Ever Snows in Florida. In 2017, my non-fiction book, Let’s Talk Weather, TV Forecasting: Behind the Scenes, hit store shelves. Now, in 2019, I’m working on book No. 3. It’ll be a fiction chapter book about a little girl who loves weather.

Instead of waiting until retirement to begin writing books, I’m taking steps to live my dreams now. It’s not always easy and often takes much longer than I’d like. But I know I can’t wait until I have the time. There’ll never be enough time.

Not only did I write my book—I’ve written (almost) three!

Amy Sweezey is an award-winning broadcast meteorologist and mom of three. For more than 20 years, she has delivered daily forecasts on television and spoken to countless groups of children about weather. Sweezey has authored two children's books: the fiction It Never, Ever Snows in Florida and the nonfiction Let’s Talk Weather, TV Forecasting: Behind the Scenes. Her third book is due out in late 2019. She lives in Central Florida with her family. You can find Amy at amysweezey.com.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

23

MASTERS SPORTS MARC MIDDLETON

Don’t let the headline fool you. This is not really about sports. It’s about a lifestyle that’s filled with fun, friendship and fitness. It’s about health and well-being. It’s about prevention and recovery. It’s about stunning research results that are helping transform our ageist and flawed belief systems about the physiology of aging.

It’s about masters sports, which I’ve come to believe are less about sports and more about the shared experience of self-improvement.

I swam in college but didn’t swim a lap for nearly 35 years. Inspired by many of the people that we feature on Growing Bolder, and with the encouragement of my friend, Rowdy Gaines, I decided to jump back in.

I thought I would be swimming a few laps on a semi-regular basis. I didn’t plan on traveling and competing. I didn’t plan on winning national championships and setting world records.

And I certainly didn’t plan on making friends all over the country and discovering a unique multigenerational community that is inclusive and diverse in every way imaginable.

Marc Middleton with friend, Growing Bolder colleague, masters swimming teammate and three-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines. Photo: Jim Hobart 24

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

25

What Are Masters Sports?

The word “masters” frightens some people, but it has nothing to do with ability. It’s simply a widely used descriptor for adult athletes of varying ages.

In swimming, masters are competitors over age 18. In track and field as well as weightlifting, it’s those age 35 and older.

CrossFit starts at age 40, while rowing starts at age 27. The National Senior Games Association is for competitors for ages 50 and over, while the World Masters Games are for those ages 30 and older.

Of course, those are age minimums. There’s no upper limit, and the age of the oldest participants in all sports is climbing every year. It’s now common to see competitors in their 90s and occasionally in their 100s.

While every masters sport has world-class athletes, including former Olympic champions, they also have men and women who never participated, let alone competed, until later in life—many times not until they were in their 70s, 80s or 90s.

Participants come in all shapes, sizes, abilities and disabilities. They all support and inspire one another to keep moving.

What I really love about masters sports is that the influencers aren’t just the best athletes. Yes, three-time Olympic champion Rowdy Gaines is revered in masters swimming, but so is 94-year-old John Corse who says swimming keeps him alive. Former NFL superstar Willie Gault is unquestionably a big man in the world of masters track and field, but so is 101-year-old Julie “Hurricane” Hawkins.

I always take a video camera with me to masters swimming meets because it’s a 100 percent certainty that there’ll be dozens of inspiring stories to share.

At a recent Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic swimming meet in Orlando, a relay team from Jacksonville was attempting to break a world record in the 360-plus age group. That means their combined ages had to be at least 360.

The team consisted of 93-year-old John Corse, 92-yearold Ed Graves, 89-year-old Betty Lorenzi and 86-year-old Joan Campbell. All four had battled serious health setbacks, including cancer, heart disease and a broken neck among many other diseases, injuries and infirmities. “Way too many to mention,” Ed said.

Not only did they break the record, they smashed it, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd and bringing Gaines to tears. “It means a lot to me that they came to my meet and showed us all what active longevity looks like,” he said.

We posted the video of their record-breaking race on the Growing Bolder Facebook page, and within 48 hours it had notched more than 7 million views, generated 54,000 comments and was shared 310,000 times. It’s a story that transcends sports, and it’s why I am such a huge fan of masters sports. Ultimately, it's not about sports. It’s about believing that we have some control over how we age.

26

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Why Do They Do It?

If you ask masters competitors why they do it, I’d wager that the No. 1 answer would be “because it’s fun” followed closely by “because it feels good.”

It feels good physically, but more importantly it feels good emotionally—because challenging ourselves to keep moving is part of what makes us human, and part of what kept us alive eons ago. The day our long-lost ancestors stopped moving is the day their tribe left them behind.

Participating in masters sports helps people of all ages lose weight, beat cancer, prevent cardiac disease, quit smoking, overcome disability and more.

Many masters athletes compete against one another, but the true competition is within themselves and, more importantly, within our culture. Are they able to overcome the ever-present ageist messaging that says father time has claimed their strength, speed and endurance?

Can they overcome the ageist fear that they’re a heart attack or disabling fall waiting to happen and they’re better off on the couch?

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

27

What They're Proving

Participants in masters sports defy expectations and smash stereotypes—and we’re all the beneficiaries of their beliefshattering examples.

You know all those widely reported studies that say we lose strength, muscle mass, bone density, flexibility and speed as we age? They were done with groups of sedentary adults— couch potatoes—and the results are part of the ageist programming that’s accelerating the onset and severity of agerelated disease, disability and morbidity.

The explosion in masters sports programs has provided researchers with a large and diverse test group never before available. Their findings are nothing short of amazing—and will have a major impact on society, lowering of healthcare costs and improving the quality of life for millions.

Researchers are now discovering, thanks to studies of masters athletes, that the most common changes seen in our bodies are primarily the result of lifestyle and, contrary to previous research, not part of the “normal” aging process.

Masters athletes are not only slowing but reversing bone density loss, sarcopenia (muscle loss), hormone loss, the onset of dementia and more. The result is a new model for aging—a vigorous longevity and an unprecedented quality of life built around exercise, socialization, encouragement and inspiration that’s sustainable until a very old age.

28

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Participants in masters sports defy expectations and smash stereotypes— and we’re all the beneficiaries of their beliefshattering examples.

"It Depends On Who Shows Up"

I was talking with my friend Joe Johnston one day about his upcoming participation in the U.S. Masters National Track and Field Championships.

Joe is now in his mid-70s and has been a world-record holder and national champion multiple times in the pole vault. “How do you think you’ll do?” I asked. His answer: “It depends on who shows up.”

I asked him why he didn’t just look at the entry list. Then I realized that I had misunderstood. “I don’t mean which competitors show up,” he explained.

“I mean which version of me shows up. As you get older, you never really know for sure what you’re going to be dealing with on any given day.”

Joe was absolutely right. And that’s one of the things I like most about participating in masters sports. Everyone is dealing with something: a pulled muscle, too little sleep, too much stress at work, not enough time to practice, a recent bout of the flu or even a round of chemo.

It’s a great gift to have an event scheduled for three or six months in the future. Looking ahead, you can optimize your performance on an upcoming day while dealing with issues you’re facing today.

It’s a goal-oriented process that forces focus and dedication. It’s asking, “What can I do to be at my very best six months from now?”

Participation in masters sports provides a non-ending series of such events to work toward. If we continue making certain that the best version of ourselves keeps “showing up,” we’ll step off the slippery slope of decline that characterizes the ageist-aging model.

Participation in masters sports is a proactive response to physical decline and a life-affirming answer to the rhetorical question, “What are you going to do about it?”

Banking Future Fitness and Recovery

Multiple studies confirm the benefit of lifelong participation in sports. Those studies also confirm that even if you’ve never begun or already stopped, it's never too late to enjoy the many benefits.

One of the major benefits of participation in masters sports is the ability to bank muscle memory. Many former athletes rapidly regain strength and muscle development when they return to their sport.

You’ve experienced this phenomenon if you’ve spent any amount of time lifting weights, then taken a break and later started lifting again. You get stronger more quickly than you did the first time.

It turns out that muscle fibers do, in fact, have a kind of “memory.” Unlike other cells, muscle cells are multinucleated. They contain not just one nucleus, but many. Resistance training has been shown to increase the number of nuclei in muscle fibers which, in turn, allows those fibers to grow larger.

If we don’t use our muscles as we age, they’ll lose size and strength. But recent research suggests that the additional nuclei created — even long ago, during periods of vigorous exercise—never go away. They lie dormant until exposed to vigorous exercise again, at which time they enable rapid redevelopment of muscle fiber.

This means that not only will the exercise that you engaged in years ago help you regain strength and fitness today, any exercise that you do now will benefit you in the future—even if you were to stop doing it for years.

In other words, you can literally bank future fitness. This reason alone should be enough to inspire all of us to get moving and consider enjoying the many life-enhancing benefits of participating in masters sports.

Jim Hobart

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

29

2

TWO TIPS FOR PARTICIPATING IN MASTERS SPORTS 1

2

Eliminate the Option Not To

Do, But Don’t Over Do

The only group workout near my home is at 5 a.m. in an outdoor pool. So, I set my alarm for 4:44 a.m. and I’m up immediately and out my door. No snooze button, no “it’s too cold,” no “it’s raining and no “I got to bed too late and the extra sleep is more important.”

At 4:44 a.m., our weak selves become great negotiators.

Our weak selves want to engage in a debate about the pros and cons of getting out of bed. Our weak selves will present endless reasons to roll over and remain in bed rather than dive into a swimming pool to work out.

It can be 34 degrees, raining and thundering. But I don’t allow myself to even think, “They’ll probably cancel practice.”

When my alarm goes off, I get up and I go. Period.

Admittedly, there’ve been a few times when I was the only one who showed up, and I had to return home. But eliminating the option of not showing up is the only way to ensure that you will show up. It’s also the easiest pathway.

Constantly battling with negative voices in our heads is an exhausting and stress-filled struggle. The voices will question our reasoning and even our sanity. The more we listen to them, the stronger they become. Deciding to do something isn’t enough. We must eliminate the option to not do it.

30

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Check with your doctor before starting any new exercise or sports program. But once you get the green light, never forget the rule that must inform everything you do: avoid injury at all costs.

That means move slowly—more slowly than you want.

Stretch more than you ever have. Pay close attention to your body and shut it down at the very first sign of injury.

If you feel like you’re about to pull a muscle — or if you feel like you might have pulled a muscle but aren’t sure — then stop immediately, and don’t start back up for at least 24 hours.

That’s how long it takes for many pulls and strains to flare up and present themselves. I learned this the hard way. A single injury can sideline you for months. It’s far better to undertrain than to overtrain.

Is masters sports for you? Yes. Unequivocally. Many, if not most, who participate are not hardcore athletes and never will be. They simply enjoy the unique camaraderie and lifeaffirming bond created through the shared experience of improving overall health and well-being.

You never have to compete. And you certainly don’t have to win to receive all the benefits of participation. Masters sports communities are more about sharpening the saw than cutting the wood.

CHANGE THE WAY YOU AGE “Fasten your seatbelt.

Growing Bolder is a manifesto for a major shift in the roadmap of aging.”

ROGER LANDRY MD, author Live Long, Die Short

“I have worked with everyone from Martha Stewart to Dr. Oz but Middle Marc Middleton is THE rock star.

I’m buying this book for everyone I know! “ LISA LYNN, Wall Street Journal best-selling author

“Marc’s remarkable ability to inspire reveals a path to the joyful aging experience we all crave.”

KAY VAN NORMAN, president, Brilliant Aging

“Read it and believe it.

Growing Bolder is the pathway to a better tomorrow.”

ROWDY GAINES, three-time Olympic champion

Fight back against the ageist stereotypes from Hollywood and Madison Avenue. Growing Bolder inspires readers of all ages to believe that it’s never too late to pursue your passions. Marc Middleton shares how to make the rest of your life the best of your life.

“Read it and believe it!”

David Hackett ,two-time world champion and hall of fame inductee

Available Now on AMAZON.comG R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

31

COMMUNITY OF CONTAGIOUS POSITIVITY Growing Bolder Ambassadors Inspire Others

32

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Growing Bolder is not just media, it’s a movement. Our audiences have been sharing our stories of inspiration for more than 10 years. Now we’ve created a way for our fans and followers to connect with our message and spread the good news that the rest of your life can be the best of your life.

The Growing Bolder Ambassadors are volunteers in local communities who inspire others to join them in growing bolder. The GB Ambassadors share a contagious positivity.

They are rebranding aging with their energy and enthusiasm for life.

More than 100 people attended the inaugural Growing Bolder Ambassador event, with 70 more people on the waitlist.

This event was followed by the first GB Ambassador training session in The Villages, Fla. Volunteer ambassadors learned about upcoming Growing Bolder initiatives and were the first to hear about the Launchpad to What’s Next Live! Tour, with the first stop in their community. The first event will take place May 30, 2019, in The Villages, Fla. It will be taped and aired on PBS as a pledge show. Experts in various aging-related fields will join Marc Middleton for inspiring and educational live events around the United States.

We hope to start a groundswell movement that activates the Growing Bolder mission in local communities everywhere.

People of all ages benefit from hearing stories of perseverance, resilience and courage at unexpected ages. We are only limited by our belief system, and our Growing Bolder Ambassadors believe the best is yet to come.

The Growing Bolder Ambassadors are volunteers in local communities who inspire others to join them in growing bolder. The GB Ambassadors share a contagious positivity.

They are rebranding aging with their energy and enthusiasm for life.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

33

Growing Bolder’s Launchpad to “

If you’re discouraged by the thought of growing older, listen to Marc Middleton. He exposes the lies, reveals the truth and provides the pathway to a better tomorrow.

Rowdy Gaines, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and NBC Sports Broadcaster

“

Marc Middleton has long inspired individuals from all walks of life who seek to live their lives to the fullest. He has personally impacted my life in profound ways and I am so excited for all those who will benefit from hearing him speak.

Doug Ulman, President and CEO, Pelotonia, Former President and CEO of Livestrong

“

I have worked with everyone from Martha Stewart to Dr. Oz, who are no strangers to THE antiaging movement, but Marc Middleton is THE rock star.

Lisa Lynn Celebrity Fitness and Metabolic Expert, Wall Street Journal best Selling Author

34

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

LIVE! Launchpad to What’s Next LIVE! answers the most important questions, addresses the biggest fears, and inspires the kind of lifestyle change that empowers healthy and active aging. It’s a motivational seminar, an educational summit and a Ted Talk all rolled into a fast–paced, entertaining presentation.

Marc Middleton, founder of Growing Bolder and a nationally recognized author, speaker and expert on the changing culture of aging, leads the high-energy, educational, and inspiration-packed hour and a half program...with every guest excited to reignite their passion and discover WHAT’S NEXT. Special guests and insights from: Roger McGuinn, founder of the The Byrds and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Rowdy Gaines, three-time Olympic gold medalist and sports broadcaster.

Diana Nyad, author, who at age 64 became the first person to swim from Cuba to Key West

without the aid of a shark cage.

Lisa Lynn, personal trainer to Martha Stewart and author of The Metabolism Solution.

Dr. Roger Landry, highly-decorated flight surgeon and author of Live Long, Die Short:

A Guide to Authentic Health and Successful Aging.

Jim Smith Jr., known as Mr. Energy, a renowned trainer, motivational speaker and author of

The No-Excuse Guide to Success, which was nominated for the NAACP Image Award.

Jean Chatzky, best-selling author, Financial Editor of Today Show on NBC Dan Buettner, best-selling author, founder of The Blue Zones

US TOUR LAUNCH THE VILLAGES, FLORIDA

May 30, 2019 at The Sharon Performing Arts Center

NATIONAL SENIOR GAMES ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO June 18, 2019 at The KiMo Theatre For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.GrowingBolder.com/LaunchpadLive * E X P E R T S P E A K E R L I N E U P VA R I E S BY E V E N T G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

35

Blake Blakely Photography, BeTheMatch.org 36

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

HE'S FOUND HIS MATCH Robert Masson, M.D. Likes a Challenge, and He’s Found One MARC MIDDLETON

Robert Masson, M.D. is alone in the cockpit of a high-powered Le Mans prototype. He’s competing in one of sports’ most prestigious races against the best drivers in the world. It’s pitch-black, and it’s pouring rain. The track is dangerously slick. Multi-million-dollar race teams are spinning out, crashing, hitting walls and struggling to survive. Masson is, as he describes it, “in the flow.” He’s the calm in the eye of a 180-mph storm.

Masson is 55, decades older than most of the other drivers, and he never sat behind the steering wheel of a race car until four years ago. His meteoric rise in motorsports led him to the World Center of Racing and dumped him into the center of high-speed chaos.

Later, he offers what may be one of sports’ most unusual post-event sound bites: "My family and friends understand that my participation in racing gives me structure and clarity around the importance of safe, simple, incremental, perpetual improvements in performance.”

If it sounds like he’s a surgeon and an engineer, it’s because he is. Masson is a renowned spine surgeon known worldwide for transforming complex surgical procedures into minimally invasive processes that can be performed quickly, with little trauma and rapid recovery. He not only invents the procedures, in many cases, he designs and creates the tools necessary to implement them. It’s that reputation that led Be The Match®, a national marrow donor program, to ask if he was interested in helping reinvent the bone-marrow biopsy, donation and transplant procedures. His answer was immediate: “Hell, yes! “ Be The Match is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program and connects people with life-threatening blood cancers, like leukemia and lymphoma, with their donor match for a transplant. While the need for these life-saving transplants is growing, many potential donors are scared away by a donation procedure that often elicits fear because of how it's portrayed through the media. The procedure, mostly unchanged for decades, involves inserting a needle multiple times into the back of the pelvic bone and using syringes to withdraw liquid marrow.

“Be The Match has enacted an incredible, multi-tiered strategy towards changing this process,“ Masson said. “My role is procedural design and development...The opportunity to reimagine blood stem cell collection brings my professional commitment to improving neurosurgery, my passion for extreme recovery and survival and my dedication to cancer causes to a crossroads. I am so proud to support Be The Match in its work to improve access to blood stem cell transplant."

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

37

Be The Match has challenged Masson to totally rethink the collection and transplantation process. He’s confident he can design the procedure, the tools and the technology to turn marrow donation into a 15-minute procedure under local anesthesia. Doing so would result in less bone and muscle trauma, a rapid and pain-free recovery and most importantly, an increase in the number of donors.

“There are over 70 diseases treated with bone marrow,” he said. “We realize if we don't diligently and purposefully charge ahead, people will be lost that could have been saved with donor acquisition and production.”

Masson’s younger sister, Calley, is a 20-year cancer survivor who is never far from his thoughts. When he climbed into the cockpit of the No. 38 Performance Tech prototype at the Rolex 24, Calley and other cancer survivors were along for the ride.

Sure, we wanted to win; but more than anything else, we wanted to bring awareness to marrow donation and to the opportunity for extreme recovery.

“We had the Be The Match logo on our race car,” Masson said. “Sure, we wanted to win; but more than anything else, we wanted to bring awareness to marrow donation and to the opportunity for extreme recovery.”

Masson knows something about extreme recovery. A spinal reconstruction patient himself, he successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro, post-surgery, with LIVESTRONG to raise awareness for cancer survival and recovery. When he got off the mountain, he returned home and immediately set his sights on his next goal—learning to drive a racecar and competing at the sports’ highest level.

Mission accomplished. Masson’s Rolex 24 team, captained by his son Kyle, finished second in its class and seventh overall—beating many of the world’s most famous race teams.

“We couldn't be more proud of Dr. Masson and the Performance Tech Motorsports team's performance," said C. Randal Mills, Ph.D., chief executive officer at Be The Match.

"Dr. Masson brings dedication and passion to everything he does, from medical innovation to extreme racing."

Driving in the Rolex 24 with his son, Kyle, while honoring his sister, Callie, raising awareness about the need for marrow donors and sending a message to his patients about the possibility of extreme recovery will be a tough act to follow; but Masson has no plans to slow down.

“This journey has been priceless,” he said. “Sharing this with Kyle has enhanced our family and our own relationship in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Having Be The Match along for the ride made it even more special.”

What’s his next challenge? He and his teammates at Be The Match are working on it now.

38

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

To learn more about Be The Match's mission to save lives, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 800-627-7692.

Blake Blakely Photography, BeTheMatch.org

MASSON AD

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

39

WHAT'S IN A NAME? ‘Wellbeing’ vs. ‘Wellness’ and the Shift Toward Whole Health 40

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Sure, the difference between the words “wellness” and “wellbeing” may seem subtle and inconsequential. Each carries a perceived meaning of good health, of being sound in mind and body, eight letters versus nine. But make no mistake, these two words bear a significant distinction and embody different concepts that lie at the heart of the mission of the Center for Health & Wellbeing.

Wellness, by definition, refers only to the physical health of the body and its absence of illness.

Wellness, just one part of one’s greater wellbeing, is easier to metric and measure, typically happening in a clinical setting or fitness center.

Wellbeing, on the other hand, encompasses a whole-of-life view, existing more as a hub and spoke with quality of life, attitude and outlook at the center of the hub. Its spokes, dimensions of wellbeing such as emotional and spiritual health, overlap and interrelate, each informing and affecting the other.

Wellness is a state of physical health and is an actively-pursued goal with a clear start and end.

Wellbeing is an evolving state-of-mind, a measure of how one perceives his or her life and the possibilities for the future.

“In the very near future, I believe we will see a collective paradigm shift away from a focus on exclusively ‘wellness’ and toward a more holistic approach to ‘wellbeing’,” says Patty Maddox, CEO of the Winter Park Health Foundation, developer of the Center in partnership with AdventHealth, a national healthcare system with 50 hospitals in almost a dozen states.

As you might deduce from its name, the Center for Health & Wellbeing, a new 80,000 squarefoot facility in Winter Park, Florida., seeks to illuminate these differences and educate the surrounding communities, not just on the importance of whole-person health but on the many ways to improve it. Through learning programs, a healthy café and its adjoining Nutrition Theater, a full roster of medical services, including physical therapy, massage and acupuncture, and a stateof-the-art fitness facility, the Center offers the tools and opportunities needed for its visitors to achieve whole-person health. In turn, they will foster a balance of their Seven Dimensions of Wellbeing—physical, intellectual, environmental, vocation, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Another key element of this educational outreach is the Wellbeing Network, a joint production of the Winter Park Health Foundation and Growing Bolder. This revolutionary and unique online hub will provide free tools, resources and inspiration to encourage people of all ages to live with passion and purpose. Growing Bolder’s team of storytellers will document the Center’s many innovative, educational programs dedicated to wellbeing and share them with both visitors to the Center and those who may never step foot inside the building.

The goal is simple: share the life-changing benefits of wellbeing far and wide.

“We’ve already seen it with forward-thinking employers who are now offering wellbeing programs in lieu of wellness programs,” Maddox said, “and we are proud to be at the forefront of this important evolution with the creation of our new Center for Health & Wellbeing.”

Stay tuned for details surrounding a special seminar series dedicated to incorporating well-being into your everyday life. For more information on the Center for Health & Wellbeing, please visit YourHealthandWellbeing.org and follow the Center on Facebook and Instagram.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

41

g nin

e Op

So

gg nniinn e e Opp O

— nn — o o SSoo

rrkk PPaa r r nnttee i i W W

Inspiring Whole-Person Health e-Pe Wholeness | Fitness | Medicine

itness

Inspiring Whole-Person Health

The Center for Health & Wellbeing is where wholeness, fitness and medicine all come together to help you achieve your optimal state of wellbeing. It’s where you can

where wh feed yourWholeness body and your mind,||while staying in||tune with your health.

Wholeness Fitness Medicine Fitness Medicine optimal st Fitness Wholeness Medical TheCenter Centerfor forHealth Health &Wellbeing Wellbeingisiswhere wherewholeness, wholeness,fitness fitness andmedicine medicineall all The & and & Phillip B. Crosby • Kid’s Cornercome • Acupuncture cometogether togetherto tohelp help•you youPeggy achieve youroptimal optimal stateof ofwellbeing. wellbeing.

It’swhere whereyou youcan can achieve your state It’s while stayin Wellness Center - a • Conference center • Weight loss management

feedyour yourbody bodyand and yourmind, mind, while stayingin intune tunewith with your health. feed your while staying your health.

Medical Fitness Association and Diabetes education Health and wellness Certified Facility* education classes • Massage • Two indoor pools for lap Fitness Fitness Wholeness Medical Wholeness • Medical Outpatient lab • Nourish coffee bar + kitchen swimming and warmPeggy& &Phillip PhillipB. B.Crosby Crosby •• Peggy Kid’sCorner Corner Acupuncture Kid’s Acupuncture • ••Nutrition theater • ••Primary care physician offices water activities llip B. Cros Wellness Center a Wellness Center a Conference centerpaths Weight lossmanagement management Conference center Weight loss • ••Gardens with walking • ••Retail pharmacy • Multi-purpose group Medical Fitness Association Medical Fitness Association and Diabetes education and Diabetes education enter a Health andwellness wellness Health and • Specialty physician offices • ••Social gathering spaces exercise rooms Certified Facility* Certified Facility* education classes Massage education classes ••Sports Massage • medicine and • Terrace with patio seating ness Assoc • Exercise equipment Two indoor poolsfor forlap lap •• Two indoor pools Nourishcoffee coffeebar bar++kitchen kitchen Outpatientlab lab ••rehabilitation Outpatient •• Nourish and weights swimming and warmswimming and warmcility* Nutritiontheater theater Primarycare carephysician physicianoffices offices •• Nutrition •• Primary • Indoor track water activities water activities Gardenswith withwalking walkingpaths paths Retailpharmacy pharmacy •• Gardens •• Retail *Pending certification group or pools fo Multi-purpose group •• Multi-purpose Socialgathering gatheringspaces spaces Specialtyphysician physicianoffices offices •• Specialty •• Social exerciserooms rooms exercise g and warm Terracewith withpatio patioseating seating Sportsmedicine medicineand and •• Terrace •• Sports Exerciseequipment equipment •• Exercise rehabilitation rehabilitation ivities andweights weights and Indoortrack track •• Indoor •

19-PROJWELL-00110

295720-1

rpose grou *Pendingcertification certification *Pending ooms A partnership between the Winter Park Health Foundation and AdventHealth equipment 2005 Mizell Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32792 | 407.644.2300 | YourHealthandWellbeing.org hts ack partnershipbetween betweenthe theWinter WinterPark ParkHealth HealthFoundation Foundationand andAdventHealth AdventHealth AApartnership

OJWELL-00110 Baldwin Park Living - Feb 2019 - Open House_3.indd 1

1/7/19 3:15 PM

2005 Mizell Mizell Avenue, Avenue, Winter Winter Park, Park, FL FL 32792 32792 || 407.644.2300 407.644.2300 || YourHealthandWellbeing.org YourHealthandWellbeing.org 2005

42

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

9-PROJWELL-00110

fication

Believing in Vegan

erso

You Just Have to Follow Your Heart s | Med BILL SHAFER

Courtesy of DaJen Eats

holeness, fi Jenn Ross had to make a difficult choice. Should she follow her the feeling is really excitement. You don't always have to have tate of we heart, take a chance and start a business that intrigued her? a blueprint or a roadmap. If you wait until everything is

On the plus side, opening a vegan restaurant could help perfectly aligned, you’ll never do anything.” ng in people change their diets and improve their health. On the tune Against all odds, DaJen Eats opened to lines out the minus side, the economically disadvantaged area in which she wanted to locate the restaurant might not be willing or able to support it. So, Ross did what we all would to—she consulted her friends.

Everyone Ross asked told her the idea would never work and that she had no idea what she was getting into. They were right, she thought. But she was never one to shy away from a challenge—and this one captured her imagination. “I'm a jumper,” she explains. “I just have this is ridiculously optimistic attitude that it's going to work out.”

Yet, Ross had so many factors going against her. “There still seems to be a bias against single women, divorced women, black women and immigrant women running a business, and I sure check all those boxes,” she says. “And I had absolutely no prior restaurant experience. Plus, when you think ‘vegan,’ because of my larger size, the picture in your mind probably doesn’t look like me!”

Still, she recalled a piece of wisdom she’d once heard: “If you have an idea that everyone thinks won’t work, then you’re probably on to something.”

Says Ross: “I just feel that if you have a dream, you have a responsibility to yourself to take the first step.” With her mind made up, her restaurant, DaJen Eats, opened for business.

Ross believes that many of us have great ideas that we never act upon because of fear. Instead of a roadblock, she says, we should look at fear as a sign that we’re on the right track.

“I feel fear every day, several times a day, sometimes several times an hour,” she says. “But I’ve come to realize that

sby

door and has continued to draw a steady lunchtime crowd curious to learn more about vegan cuisine.

“For me, the food is a gateway to the real power of being vegan, which is a mindset of compassion,” Ross explains.

“When we show compassion for others, that energy comes back to empower us all.” Her goal, she says, is to make veganism approachable, affordable and accessible to everyone.

“I know how fulfilled it’s made me, and my mission is to help others find that same happiness,” Ross continues. “And you know, I think a lot of that comes with getting a little older.

I'm pretty sure when I was 20 I wouldn’t have had the drive to push ahead with this.”

Ross knows she hasn’t reached the end of her story. She still expects to face many challenges. In fact, she already has.

“I don’t want to give the impression that it’s all been smooth sailing,” she says. “There’ve already been many nights where I’ve gone home crying and wondering why I got myself into this. But I’m starting to see that when you have a clear reason and firmly believe in what you are doing, life will find a way to pull you through.”

Since opening DaJen Eats, Ross has learned a lot about business, but even more about life. “I want everyone to know that we are all a gazillion times more resilient than we give ourselves credit for,” she says. “There are eight million very valid reasons why this restaurant should never have happened. But if you can take the approach that the universe is ever conspiring in our favor—and live life in that way—there are so many things that can unfold beautifully in front of us.”

ciation

or lap m-

9-PROJWELL-00110

up

DEFY

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

43

AT

95

A Tuskegee Airman Still on a Mission BILL SHAFER

It’s a wish we’ve all had: to be able to transform society into something better, more honorable and more idealistic.

Richard Hall was no exception. What he learned was this: Sometimes before you can transform something else, you have to transform yourself.

As he looks back over a life of 95 years, he realizes what he was really searching for was fulfillment. What he found was a place in history. Hall has seen the world—all its wonders and three of its wars.

Hall is one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, AfricanAmericans who in World War II fought racism and smashed stereotypes to prove that not only could they be relied on as pilots, engineers and leaders but they could excel at it. He’s faced formidable enemies in the fight for freedom, both overseas and at home.

Hall never set out to change the world. But when the opportunity presented itself, he rose to the challenge. He became a distinguished mechanic. In fact, the men trained at Tuskegee were so accomplished that everyone began to take notice. Old prejudices were proven wrong beyond a shadow of a doubt. Hall had found his purpose.

When World War II ended, his quest did not. He stayed on, serving in the Korean War as a B-25 gunner making bombing runs every other day. He also served in the Vietnam War, rising 44

to the rank of chief staff sergeant. He’s seen the world at its worst—and glimpses of what it could look like at its best.

Today, Hall is one of the most active 95-year-olds you’ll ever meet. He’s out speaking and sharing his stories and experiences. “I’ve seen a lot of folks die, both at war, and now at my age,” he says. “There must be a reason I’m still here, and I believe it’s to use what I’ve learned in my journey through life to bring people together.”

Hall especially likes to speak to students, hoping to share what he believes is his most important message. “It bothers me when I see any teens, but especially AfricanAmerican teens, glorifying crime, gangs, drugs and booze,” he says. “Those are the things that hold them back. The way we overcome is through education, hard work and pride.

Those are the thoughts that keep me going even at 95.”

If there’s a theme that has defined his life, Hall says it’s been survival—something that’s just as important to him today. “I plan to be here at 96 and my goal is to make it to 100. Of course, I wouldn’t mind 101 or even 110,” he says.

“Every time I hear that another Tuskegee Airman has passed away, it makes me even more proud that I’m still around to tell the story,” he adds. “I’m just very thankful, grateful I’ve managed to survive and that I still have something to contribute.”

“

There must be a reason I’m still here, and I believe it’s to use what I’ve learned in my journey through life to bring people together.

Photo by Trae Patton/NBC

Courtesy of Richard Hall

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

45

BENOIT'S

BIG

How Benoit Glazer Risked It All for Family, Friends and Community.

JAC K I E C A R L I N

Benoit Glazer is a unique, talented and passionate man on a musical mission. To say he personifies focused energy would be a massive understatement.

“I do everything with intensity,” he said. “I don't believe in doing something halfway or half-cocked. I go all the way in everything I do.”

This is a story about going all the way.

Glazer is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and conductor who played professionally all over the world before taking a major risk and moving from Montreal to Orlando to become musical director of “La Nouba” for Cirque du Soleil.

“When we came to the United States in 1998, my wife and I had three, young kids and were $43,000 in debt. We just said, ‘Okay, let's do it,’” Glazer said.

“La Nouba” was a significant musical challenge and a major success for Glazer. He loved working for Cirque du Soleil but quickly became restless on his two nights off.

“It was very hard in 1999 to find any good live music or exceptional cultural experiences on a Tuesday or Wednesday night in Orlando,” he recalled. “So, we decided to have a concert at our house.”

Courtesy of Benoit Glazer

Glazer knew how to find musicians. But every concert needs an audience, so he and his wife, Elaine, and their three young children, went door-to-door around the neighborhood to spread the word.

“We knocked on our neighbors’ doors and said, ‘We’re having a concert at the house,’” recalls his son, Charles Glazer.

“It’s a new thing we’re trying out. Just come over and bring a little plate of food to share.”

They put out a few bottles of wine, moved the furniture and created a small space for the musicians and their audience. It was just going to be one concert -- a chance to entertain the neighbors and keep Benoit Glazer from being bored on a Tuesday night.

“But as soon as it was over, everyone asked, ‘When is the next one?’ And that’s how it all began,” Glazer said.

Word spread about Glazer’s living-room concerts; and quickly, his living room wasn’t big enough. When the audience spilled out the door and into the backyard, the music man became the demolition man.

“He knocked down one of the walls to make the living room bigger,” said his son.

Glazer didn’t stop there. After tearing down a second wall, his passion project ran into the proverbial wall and it was time to consider another major risk.

“Elaine and I sat down and said, ‘We can pull back on the concerts or we can put all the money we've ever made, and the money we’ll ever make, into building a new house with something more appropriate for the concerts. But if we do that, we might not have a comfortable retirement.’ And we said, ‘Okay, let's do it,’” Glazer said.

They found a neighborhood lot with plenty of public parking nearby, tore down the existing house and began building what would become known to musicians worldwide as the White House. The White House features a three-story, nearly acoustically perfect living room designed by Glazer.

“It’s not just a living room. It’s a living room. It’s a listening room,” he says in arguably the understatement of the year.

Over the years, the Glazers have hosted more than 800 concerts in their living room. For the first 15 years, the children, as young as two, opened for all the concerts.

“If it was jazz, I would teach them some jazz, and we would play jazz together,” Glazer said. “If it was classical, we learned and played classical. Indian music, salsa, whatever -they learned to play and perform it all. My youngest son was performing live when he was just two.”

Like Glazer, the children are now multi-instrumentalists and vocalists. When they get together, a concert can break out at any moment.

The regulars have enjoyed seeing the children grow into adults and accomplished musicians, one performance at a time. But the real draw has always been the eclectic mix of talent that Glazer brings to programs at the White House.

“We are focused on letting musicians play what they want and how they want to play it,” he said proudly. “Unlike most venues, it’s not about selling tickets or food and drinks.

It’s art for art's sake. That's why we did it, and that's why we still do it. It's as simple as that.”

There’s not a genre of music that Glazer hasn’t presented C R E AT E

in his living room, including classical, heavy metal, Latin, rock, jazz, bluegrass, Indian, African and more.

“There’s sort of this lust for the best room,” said musician Matt Gorney. “You want to play in a creative place, and you want it to sound great. You want the presentation to be professional. You want the audience and the people putting on the show to care. And with the White House, it’s like check, check, check and check. That’s what this place does. It checks off all of these things.”

Glazer has heard similar comments from other musicians.

“People from all over the world have played here; and without exception, everybody tells me that they have never experienced something quite like this or even close to this,” Glazer said. “It’s just different.”

Sunday night is open house at the White House. Guests bring their own food and wine and pay whatever they want.

Arts, in my mind, are the highest form of human endeavor...

Through their Timucua Arts Foundation, the Glazers also present Masters Series concerts on weeknights, host concerts for families and children on Saturday and teach composition for free on Sunday afternoons at the library. In addition, they now have their own resident ensemble that plays in other venues around town.

“Arts, in my mind, are the highest form of human endeavor,” Glazer said. “And education is the most important human activity. If you can put those two together then you have a winning combination.”

It’s a winning combination that describes the life Glazer has created for himself, his family, his friends, his community and for musicians around the world. All it has taken is a bold vision, years of hard work and a willingness to risk his financial future.

“I don't want to die rich,” he says. “I want to live rich.

Eventually, we're going to die, but I hope I'm broke when I die.

That's the idea. I want to contribute something to this society.

I want to leave the world a better place than when I found it.”

More information about Benoit Glazer, the White House and the Timucua Arts Foundation: timucua.org :Andres Volmer

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

47

Power of Visualization How the Queen of New York Real Estate Achieves Her Dreams E M I LY T H O M P S O N

ABC Sony

Barbara Corcoran believes in the power of visualization and the optimism of blind faith. Growing up, Barbara was the youngest of nine children. She struggled in school, enduring bullying when she had to read out loud to the class. Corcoran started working as a hot dog vendor as a child, finding that her customer service skills got her the positive feedback she wasn’t getting in school. She went on to have 20 jobs by the age of 23.

“I did every kind of part-time job since I was 11. I always had tons of jobs because it was the kind of performance that I could do well…and people responded well,” Corcoran said.

She credits her mother with instilling in her a sense of confidence and self-worth despite her academic challenges.

“My mother told me I was a genius, and I believed her for some reason. So, I just went out and showed people [my version of genius],” Corcoran said.

Barbara started her real-estate firm at age 23 and was managing 50 people by the time she was 25. She had already been working for a dozen years.

“I was really an old person going into business at 23,” recalled Corcoran.

Now approaching 70 years old, Barbara is the “Queen of New York Real Estate,” a best-selling author, a celebrity judge on the Emmy Award-winning show Shark Tank, a real-estate expert for the Today show and a columnist for the Daily News.

Even a battle with cancer hasn’t slowed her down.

Corcoran remains resilient and optimistic even when times look tough.

“I just know it’s better right around the corner. If I go through something that’s really hard, there’s a bounce up from that, like throwing a ball against a wall. It bounces back.

And I’ve been very alert to what the opportunity is coming back up. I’ve always had my best successes on the rebound.

48

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

I’ve learned to expect it. I have that kind of blind faith,” Corcoran said.

The power of love is at the core of success for Corcoran.

She believes anyone can make something of themselves if even one person loves them.

“I had a huge advantage in having parents who loved me and believed in me. I appreciate what kind of advantage that was. I don’t know where I’d be right now without that.

Assuming you have even one person right now to love you and build your confidence, you can learn to love yourself and achieve your dreams,” she said.

Visualization has been a powerful tool for designing her life and turning her dreams into reality.

“I never did a business plan, but I had such a clear image that I wanted to be the queen of New York real estate. It was in living color. It was in my head every day, and that motivated me. I saw what I wanted to be, and I kept it clear and I did everything in my power to reach it,” Corcoran said.

“People who are creative have to have an image of who they want to be when they grow up and just keep striving to make that dream come true. For me it’s been essential that I always had a picture of that,” she said.

Corcoran had to fight for her spot as a judge on Shark Tank.

“The reason I got Shark Tank is because I saw myself on Shark Tank, she said. “My beliefs and my own dream made me stand up and be counted when I was initially turned down. I think visualization is powerful.”

From humble beginnings to becoming one of the most respected and recognizable real-estate and investment experts in the country, Corcoran is an example of how visualizing our dreams gives us the ability to make those dreams come true.

T R A N S FO R M

The Growing Bolder Genesis Taking a Leap of Faith and Becoming a Man on a Mission

Like everyone who doesn’t want to believe that life after 60 or 70 is a slippery slope into the grave, I’ve often wondered: “What’s next?” After decades of working in broadcast news, I had no plans to retire; but I didn’t want to work for “the man” the rest of my life.

I wanted my “what’s next” to be something that I was passionate about, something that provided the kind of autonomy that working for someone else doesn’t offer, something that made a difference in the lives of others.

I wondered what I might do or create that would leverage my skills and allow me to control my destiny into my 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. It’s obvious to anyone who’s even remotely paying attention that we have ageist workplaces nestled within an ageist culture that is supported and reinforced by an enthusiastically ageist media.

None of this is good news in a country with a rapidly aging population. And it certainly wasn’t good news in my industry. I had been a sports and news anchor for nearly three decades. I was an aging bald man with a big salary in an industry that loves fresh faces anxious to work for small paychecks. In other words, I had a big target on my back.

As I pondered future possibilities, my industry was undergoing rapid transformations. With the number of content channels exploding exponentially, viewership on any one channel declined and advertisers began diverting budgets to digital platforms. With revenue dropping and viewing patterns changing, the definition of news itself began to change.

Enterprise reporting, investigative reporting and feature storytelling were regarded as luxuries that very few stations could or would support. “Breaking news” quickly became the lifeblood of local TV as stations began reporting almost exclusively on murders, mobile-home fires, armed robberies, home invasions and drug deals gone bad.

In a very short time, local news became, for the most part, a never-ending crime report. Communities across the U.S. began to feel like dark, dangerous and dirty places.

When I no longer allowed my children to watch their dad on TV, I came to realize—with great pain—that I no longer wanted local news to be the profession that defined me or consumed my creative energies. My desire to identify “what’s next” became a focused mission over the next two years.

Growing Bolder: Defy the Cult of Youth, Live With Passion and Purpose AVA I L A B L E N OW O N A M A Z O N .C O M

Special Section: Book Excerpt G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

49

About the same time, station management shared its latest audience research with me. I couldn’t get past one of the very first questions on the viewer survey: “How old are you?” In reality, it wasn’t the question that concerned me. It was the fact that the station immediately discontinued the interview when the answer was any age over 55.

I knew from previous research that the average age of our viewers was 57, so I asked management why we didn’t care about the opinions of our average viewers. “It’s not that we don’t care,” I was told. “Advertisers don’t care. We need to attract and retain the audience they want. We need to focus all our energy on attracting viewers 25 to 54. That’s where the game is played.”

That conversation provided the spark that started it all.

I became obsessed with this shortsighted demographic disconnect: a major miscalculation by several very large and influential industries.

Why would we not care about the opinions of our largest audience constituency? The size of this demographic group was undeniable. So, I assumed that there must be something about the way people aged 55 or older spend—or don’t spend—that fails to interest advertisers.

I dedicated the better part of the next year studying the

I realized that I was supposed to dread aging, but I didn’t.

And I knew that I wasn’t alone.

76 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964, a generation that has transformed every life stage as it has aged, a generation that demographers have described as a pig going through a python.

I realized that I was supposed to dread aging, but I didn’t. And I knew that I wasn’t alone. To borrow a phrase

from Dylan Thomas, it was clear that many baby boomers weren’t going gentle into that dark night.

I became convinced, with complete certainty, that boomers would instead use inevitable advances in medicine and technology to not only transform a life stage but to create a new life stage that would change the face of aging forever.

I learned that consumers aged 50-plus—the same group advertisers and media organizations were ignoring—in fact had more money than any “senior” population in history, controlling more than 70 percent of the nation’s discretionary income and accounting for nearly $4 trillion in wealth. And, in an unprecedented transfer of wealth, they were in line to inherit another $15 trillion over the next 20 years.

Not only did older people have money, they were spending it—dominating 119 out of the top 123 consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories. Yet, despite the age group’s size, wealth and spending habits, fewer than 5 percent of all advertising dollars were directed toward this demographic.

And those dollars were disproportionately spent on pharmaceutical and insurance ads. Obviously, the assumption was that the future of people age 50 and older would consist of little more than getting sick and dying. But it wasn’t only advertisers who held this view. The broader culture seemed to agree.

I wasn’t buying any of it. I believed we would spend at unprecedented levels in unprecedented ways in the years and decades ahead: on travel, technology, entrepreneurial ventures, smart homes and—most significantly—lifeenhancing experiences.

I believed that for many, this new life stage would embody the spirit of the late Hunter S. Thompson, who wrote: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a ride!’”

Making the most of that ride would require a certain degree of health and well-being, adequate finances, a strong social circle, a passion for adventure and a willingness to engage in the kind of personal risk-taking thought to be appropriate only for younger people. Mostly, it would require a new belief system.

While still at the TV station, I did what I still do to this day—use my position in the media to interview those from whom I hope to learn. Abigail Trafford, an award-winning journalist at The Washington Post, had just written My Time: Making the Most of the Bonus Decades After 50.

I was, at the time, trying to persuade the station to let me produce a series of stories about the changing culture of

C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E 8 6 50

1

2

3

4 Jim Hobart

1. Growing Bolder TV Show’s Secily Wilson, Marc Middleton, Wendy Chioji and Bill Shafer 2. Marc with Jill, Quinn and Kelsey Middleton in Athens, Greece 3. Marc on the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa 4. Marc and friend and teammate Rowdy Gaines G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

51

ON THE ROAD TO REINVENTION, CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF KEROUAC News anchor Bob Kealing turned his passion for history into a second career

BY B O B K E A L I N G

I was inspired to follow Jack Kerouac's life and career in Orlando after visiting the Hemingway House in Key West. The history and lore of that amazing and legendary end-of-the-road outpost is seductive.

There's a constant pull to return.

Those initial visits in the mid-’90s also inspired me to write seriously. After a 25-year career as a TV news anchor, I'm now at work on my fifth book. My hope is that my interest in Central Florida history helps people realize that Orlando has more to its story than our attractions.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Kerouac’s passing. The Orlando Kerouac home's landmark status is important. Kerouac's life in that small back-porch apartment is emblematic of hard work paying off—of believing in one's talent and destiny despite setbacks and opposition. It's where all his years of struggle were finally recognized.

You’ll see what I mean in the article that follows.

52

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Jack Kerouac has been gone longer than he lived. In fact, 2019 marks 50 years since the writer known as the “King of the Beats” died a lonely drunkard’s death. It was October 22, 1969 in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was 47.

During research for my book, Kerouac in Florida, Where the Road Ends, I remember speaking with his emergency room nurse Anne Houston. “It was one of those situations where you didn’t know how we could possibly make it,” she recounted. Despite a record number of transfusions, Kerouac’s liver shut down—and that proved to be the end of the road.

Early on, Kerouac’s sad ending permeated anything I’d heard about his time in Florida. To historians, Florida was where Kerouac went to die. Through the course of my research, I found a far different narrative. In 1996, a friend commented that he’d read on the back of a book jacket that Kerouac had also lived in Orlando.

Infected with wanderlust and curiosity, 23 years ago I decided to explore Kerouac’s road-less-traveled in my own backyard. It was serendipity that Kerouac’s first book of letters had been published at the same time. The volume contained correspondence Kerouac had written at his sister’s house in pre-tourist-mecca Orlando.

His visit there in December, 1956, marked a crucial turning point. “I have another week here of mad typing and working on FOUR different manuscripts that’ll make us rich,” Kerouac wrote to girlfriend Helen Weaver.

After years of laboring in obscurity, the nomadic 34-year-old nobody from Lowell, Massachusetts was making final edits to On the Road, the novel widely regarded as an American classic. His letters included a return address on Yates Street in the northwest Orlando neighborhood of College Park. After that, the trail on Kerouac’s life in Orlando went cold.

I found out Kerouac returned to Orlando in the summer of 1957, renting a place not far from his sister’s house. No one —not the locals, not old editions of the local newspaper, not even the Kerouac biographies of the day—had any mention of exactly where that rental was.

Sometimes as a researcher, you have to throw caution to the wind. That’s what I did when I cold-called the executor of Jack Kerouac’s estate, his brother-in-law, John Sampas.

Sampas, brother of Kerouac’s last wife Stella, was listed in the Lowell, Massachusetts, phone book and even took my call. I explained that I was looking for the Orlando apartment that Kerouac rented during this important stage in his career.

T R A N S FO R M

“Jack kept a list of every place he ever lived. I have it right here on the wall,” Sampas said to my astonishment. “Let’s see, 1957… that would be 1418-and-a-half Clouser Street.”

(He pronounced it “Cloiser”).

Soon after, I ventured out to a single-story, wood-frame home about four blocks from his sister’s house in College Park. In July 1957, Kerouac paid $45 a month to rent the small apartment on the home’s back side. It was all he had. The small back door stood open and squirrels were running in and out. I approached cautiously and knocked.

From the darkened space inside the back-porch hovel, a friendly voice invited me in. “My neighbor Rose McCray met him while he was living here,” said Carol Ney, a 70ish retired antiques dealer reclining on a small sofa bed and smoking a long, brown cigarette. “He told her he was waiting for his novel to be published. As soon as it came out he would send her a copy.”

Carol confirmed that this tiny back-porch apartment, which merited only a “one-half” mailing address, was indeed historic. It was where Jack Kerouac was living when his novel On the Road was published.

“Would you like to see it?” she asked.

“See what?” I said.

From behind the sofa bed Carol pulled out a book sealed in a plastic bag and handed it to me. Out from the bag I pulled an inscribed first-edition of On the Road. “To Mrs. McCray, my good neighbor, Jack Kerouac.”

It was a breathtaking, unforgettable moment and a crucial turning point in research for my book. In the march of years since this historic find, many amazing things have occurred. This little house in northwest Orlando is now a national literary landmark.

As we reach a half-century since Kerouac’s death, those of us who reside in his home-away-from-home in the Sunshine State can say with certainty: Jack Kerouac came to Florida and lived.

Author and historic preservationist Bob Kealing is a six-time Emmy recipient and two-time winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award. He has co-founded three Florida landmarks: The Jack Kerouac House in Orlando, Gram Parsons Derry Down in Winter Haven and the Allman Brothers' Band birthplace in Jacksonville. He is the author of four books on pre-Disney history and culture in Florida. For inquiries about speaking engagements and book signings, email him at callingmehomebook@gmail.com.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

53

EXPATS ACCE S S TO QUALIT Y H E ALTH C ARE FO R E XPAT RE TI RE E S

BY I NTE R N ATI O N A L LIVI N G CO R R E S P O N D E NT S

Access to quality healthcare is an important consideration for retirees, especially those interested in retiring overseas. The six countries that take top places in the Healthcare category of International Living’s 2019 Annual Global Retirement Index offer retirees first-rate care at affordable prices.

“Medical bills you can afford, doctors who make house calls and healthcare so affordable retirees are simply paying out of pocket—that’s just the reality for those who live in the places that score the highest in the healthcare category of this year’s Annual Global Retirement Index,” says Jennifer Stevens, executive editor.

Healthcare is one of the most important factors potential expats consider before moving abroad. In select locations overseas, it’s possible to access world-class care for a fraction of the cost back home.

“Across the 25 countries we rank and rate in our annual index, we assess the cost, access and quality of care as well as

54

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

insurance and the cost of medications in the communities where we recommend expats go,” Stevens explains.

“We ask questions like: How much will you have to pay for things like laser eye surgery, a tooth crown or a blood transfusion? Can you get common medications for things like asthma and diabetes? And do you need a prescription to get a refill? When it comes to assessing healthcare, we factor in both quality and price to give a fair and balanced view.”

The six countries that scored the highest marks for best healthcare in the world offer beautiful and adventurous places to retire as well as access to quality healthcare.

No. 1

Scoring 95 out of 100, Malaysia takes the top spot. Healthcare in this Southeast Asian gem is simply world-class, with an up-to-date and sophisticated infrastructure.

There are 13 hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), and almost every doctor is fluent in English. In fact, most Malaysian doctors were trained in the United Kingdom, United States, or Australia—so communication is flawless.

Here, you don’t need an appointment to see a specialist. You don’t need a referral from a general practitioner, either. It’s as simple as registering at a hospital and waiting in line to see your specialist of choice.

Prescriptions in Malaysia cost a fraction of U.S. prices. But it’s not just the cost that’s attractive—it’s the service. Pharmacists, like the rest of Malaysia’s medical staffers, are well-trained and informed.

Malaysians are friendly people, but it’s the genuine interest that they take in their patients that makes such an impression.

“Recently, I decided on a whim to have a medical wellness exam,” says Keith Hockton, who lives on the island of Penang. “I’d never had one done before. So, when I had a free morning I decided just to pop in to the Lam Wah Eee Hospital.”

Within an hour, he had been examined by a doctor, had an ECG and blood and urine tests done— and was on his way home.

The total cost of the visit? Just $44. The doctor called Hockton later that afternoon with the results.

“It’s this level of service that makes medical care in Malaysia an attractive option.” He says. “It’s all so easy.”

No. 2 In second place, with 93 points, is France. The low cost of health insurance and the superb quality of care means that France consistently receives high scores from the World Health Organization as well.

Life expectancy now averages 85.7 for women and 80.1 for men, according to the latest WHO data published in 2018. This gives France a world life expectancy ranking of 5th—the United States ranks 34th.

“There’s a reason France is consistently named by the World Health Organization as having the best healthcare in the world,” says Stewart Richmond.

“It is accessible to all and affordable. Prescription medicine is heavily subsidized and is among the cheapest in the world. For those with long-term illnesses such as cancer or MS, all healthcare and medicine is provided free of charge.”

T R AV E L

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

55

No. 3 Renowned for its excellent healthcare, with a score of 92, Thailand leads the way in medical tourism for Southeast Asia, says Michael Cullen. “That means quality hospitals with well-trained, English-speaking medics in all the major cities and regional towns throughout Thailand,” he adds.

Dental and other health services are also well covered—and all to the same high international standard. “For expats living in Thailand, it’s sensible to have health insurance because there’s no national system within the country they can tap into,” Cullen notes. “But with healthcare costs averaging from a quarter to less than a half of what they would cost in the United States, insurance costs won’t break the bank.”

Although there’s no public health insurance available to expats, there are several options to obtain private insurance from a variety of excellent companies, both domestic and international.

Thailand’s private healthcare system consists of many well-equipped, state-of-the-art hospitals. A major benefit is that you’re often able to visit a specialist within a short time of walking through the front door—without booking an appointment beforehand.

One of the great perks for foreign residents living in Ecuador is high-quality, low-cost healthcare. With 89 points, the Land of Eternal Spring comes in at fourth place.

No. 4

56

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

“In February of 2016, Ecuador passed a law that requires all new residents to have some form of healthcare coverage,” says Jim Santos. “However, the same law prevents private insurers from denying coverage because of age or pre-existing conditions.”

This opened the private market, although expats may also choose to sign up for the state-run health plan, which covers all medical, dental, and eye-care expenses—including prescriptions, testing, rehab and more—at IESS (Ecuadorian Social Security Institute) hospitals and clinics with no deductible and no copay. Expats are eligible to use the system after paying into it for the first three months.

In the bigger cities, you’ll find hospitals with state-of-the-art equipment as well as specialists in all fields and physicians with private clinics. But expats don’t need to live in a metropolis to take advantage of good, quality healthcare.

Smaller cities also have private clinics and modern hospitals. And in small towns, you’ll often find private doctors who go that extra mile, with some even making house calls if you’re too ill to go out.

Donna Stiteler lives in Ecuador’s third-largest city and the economic center of the Southern Sierra, Cuenca. “My husband, Rowland, who’s a writer and not a carpenter, recently ‘sawed’ his index finger,” she says. “The trip to the emergency room on a Sunday required a five-minute wait. A surgeon stitched his finger for a mere $60. This was walk-up pricing without using any insurance.”

However, Stiteler says, she and her husband do have the government’s IESS plan, which covers them both for under $100 a month. “We do most of our medical treatments out of pocket because healthcare runs about 80 percent cheaper than in the U.S.,” she says. “And you can just walk in and see specialists for $40 a pop.”

No. 4 (tied with Mexico)

By almost any standard, Costa Rica has some of the best healthcare in Latin America. There are two systems, both of which expats can access: the government-run universal healthcare system, Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social, known as Caja, and the private system. Both are constantly being upgraded—new hospitals, new equipment and improvements in staff training.

Many doctors, especially in private practice, speak English and have received training in Europe, Canada or the United States. But despite the advancements, costs are low in comparison to those in the United States.

Physician John Michael Arthur, a native Texan who now lives in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, has a lot of praise for the Costa Rican healthcare system. “Having both the public healthcare system and the private healthcare system available to residents gives great options,” he says. “High-quality healthcare —medical, surgical and dental—is easily found and costs about one-third of the prices in the U.S. private system.”

For example, says Arthur, he recently had a new state-of-the-art zirconium crown placed on a tooth for about $275. And he had an echocardiogram for only $145. “I left the office with the complete analysis and report in my hands,” he notes.

No. 5

(tied with Costa Rica)

A favorite for expats looking for a haven close to the United States and Canada, Mexico offers an affordable cost of living and great healthcare.

Most doctors and dentists in Mexico received at least part of their training in the United States. Many continue going to the U.S. or Europe for additional education.

Every medium to large city in Mexico has at least one first-rate hospital, with the cost of healthcare generally half or less what you might expect to pay in the United States. The same goes for prescription drugs. Plus, health insurance in Mexico costs much less than it does in the United States.

“Mexico offers two national healthcare plans for residents,” says Don Murray.

“The one most used by expats seems to be the Seguro Popular program, where annual costs may be only a few hundred dollars for full coverage.”

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL LIVING Since 1979, InternationalLiving.com has been the leading authority for anyone investigating global retirement or relocation opportunities.

Through its monthly magazine and related e-newsletters, extensive website, podcasts, online bookstore and events held around the world, InternationalLiving.com provides information and resources to help its readers live better, travel farther, have more fun, save more money and find better business opportunities. InternationalLiving.com has more than 200 correspondents traveling the globe, investigating the best opportunities for travel, retirement, real estate and investment.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

57

LONELY NO MORE Trading Isolation for Appreciation BILL SHAFER

Nan Druskin never imagined that she would ever be on the move as much as she is.

And she certainly never pictured herself going to the gym every day to work out.

After all, she’s never been athletic, adventurous or competitive. And, at age 75, she thought that time had passed her by.

Her career as a high-school teacher ended earlier than expected when she was forced to retire because of eye problems. She wasn’t prepared for the loneliness.

“Imagine being surrounded everyday by hundreds of vibrant, energetic young people like I was as a teacher, and then suddenly finding yourself sitting home alone with absolutely nothing to do,” she says.

Druskin adds: “I understand how easy it is to give in to the isolation and let those four walls trap you inside. But I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

She reached out to neighbors and offered to run errands and walk their dogs.

“I found that as much as I missed the physical activity I also missed interacting with people,” she says. “That’s when I ended up at the local community center and my whole life changed.”

I understand how easy it is to give in to the isolation and let those four walls trap you inside.

But I wasn’t going to let that happen.

Druskin was surprised by the activity and energy there. “I was like a kid in a candy store,” she recalls. “I wanted to try every flavor.” Soon, she found herself going every day. She took classes in aerobics, tai chi, water exercises and Zumba. She began to volunteer for a children’s mentoring program called Catch Healthy Habits.

Her body began to strengthen and her outlook on life began to brighten. “I realized that I didn’t feel like an old person anymore,” she says. “When you give back and when you move, I think you stay young.”

But Druskin didn’t stop there. She’s become the unofficial ambassador of her community center, speaking with everyone she can and being extra-attentive and welcoming to any new faces she sees. “I want everyone to feel at home here as much as I do,” she says. “I realize first-hand how lonely life can be, and how it doesn’t have to be that way if we all just look out for one another and lend a smile and a little encouragement.” Druskin says most communities provide resources that can make life more enjoyable. “I didn’t realize how much my own community had to offer, and that’s true for all of us,” she says. “It’s up to us to take that first step out the front door. I’m having fun staying active, meeting people and feeling like I make a difference. Those are some pretty important ingredients for a fulfilling life.”

58

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Nan Druskin has never met a fitness class she hasn’t loved. Her passion and enthusiasm for not only exercising herself but encouraging others to join her is contagious.

M OV E

LIVE BOLDLY Subscribe today and save 25% off the newsstand cost:

$39.96 $29.97 Annual subscription for four quarterly issues Digital subscription only $19.99 per year

— 4 Big Issues — Stories That Matter — Resources for Life — Inspiration to Grow T O L E A R N M O R E A N D S U B S C R I B E V I S I T: G R OW I N G B O L D E R .C O M/ S U B S C R I B E

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

59

Hulton Archive / Stringer

TRIUMPH OF RORY KENNEDY FROM THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR TO THE LIGHT OF HOPE BILL SHAFER

60

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Whoever said, “Only the depth of despair can reveal the light of hope,” would have great appreciation for the journey of Rory Kennedy, who has dealt with more than her share of sorrow.

The youngest child of Robert Kennedy, she was born six months after he was assassinated in 1968, when he was on the verge of earning his party’s nomination for president.

In 1984, one of her brothers died of a drug overdose, and in 1997 another died in her arms following a skiing accident. Her cousin John F. Kennedy Jr., who was killed when the plane he was piloting crashed, was enroute to her wedding. She was affected profoundly.

“There’s no way around the great pain and suffering that you have to go through,” she says. “But from that can come a deeper understanding of ourselves—and a greater compassion for others who suffer.”

Kennedy’s experiences solidified a desire to make a

But more than a retrospective, the film talks about the future of the space program. “I want to help the younger generation better appreciate what NASA has done, and to inspire the next generation,” she explains. “Few understand the degree to which NASA is involved in earth science and helping to understand the need to address health of our planet.”

Kennedy says her films also reflect on her own life. She recently turned 50 and says instead of slowing down she’s more motivated than ever to continue creating stories. “I feel like I’m just getting started, so I plan to keep on keeping on,” she says.

“And I greatly appreciate that there is still interest and demand.”

Kennedy is a prolific filmmaker with a long list of subjects she’d like to explore. “I don’t ever have to dig deep to find my motivation,” she says. “I feel very lucky to be doing something that I love and that can reach people in a meaningful way. I hope I can continue for many years to come.”

"...I believe storytelling is a great way of communicating ideas and helping people understand issues in a more in-depth manner... " difference. But known as the “Quiet Kennedy,” she never felt comfortable in the spotlight. “I prefer to be behind the camera rather than in front of it,” she says.

And indeed, it is behind the camera that she discovered a way to fulfill her passion—as a documentary filmmaker. Instead of stepping in front of a microphone, as many of her famous relatives often did, making films amplifies her voice. The quality of her work has been reflected by an Emmy award and an Oscar nomination.

The topics Kennedy chooses reveal a great deal about her social consciousness—from violence against women, to the prevalence of guns in society, to the lack of technology in economically disadvantaged schools.

“I’m passionate about the work that I do,” she says. “I believe storytelling is a great way of communicating ideas and helping people understand issues in a more in-depth manner. I think there’s a real hunger for substantive storytelling out in the world, which I’m very happy about.”

Kennedy hasn’t shied away from subjects that hit close to home. In 2012, she turned her camera on her own mother, Ethel, to share an intimate look at her iconic family. Her most recent work, Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow, does the same.

“I’ve always felt a special connection to the space agency because of my uncle, John F. Kennedy, and the challenge he issued to our country to reach for the moon,” she says. “I love telling the story of NASA. After 60 years, it seemed like a fine time to look back and take measure of all that the agency has accomplished.”

The visuals are stunning, and the content is compelling.

C R E AT E

Amanda Edwards / Stringer

Alex Wong / Getty Images

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

61

RETURN TO DOWNTON ABBEY A NEW PERSPECTIVE FROM THE EARL OF GRANTHAM BILL SHAFER Courtesy of Mormon Tabernacle Choir

62

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

The rumors are true. The surprise hit of the decade, Downton Abbey, the British historical drama, is making a comeback.

The Crawley family saga will continue this fall in theaters as a major motion picture.

More than an unexpected success during its six-year run on television, the program became a cultural phenomenon, the most-watched series in PBS history. One of its stars, Hugh Bonneville, who reprises his role as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, believes he understands why.

“Nobody can ever predict if a show is going to work,” he says. “Of course, you hope it won’t be a complete turkey, but no one expected our success. It happened only because everyone involved was willing to take a risk.”

Risk not only led Bonneville into the entertainment industry, it’s helped him thrive in it. Where most tend to shy away from taking risks, he seems to love it. Bonneville is one of those creative types who seamlessly moves between theater, television and film. In addition to acting in Notting Hill, Paddington and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein he’s also a respected producer and director.

Bonneville has played a variety of characters from psychopaths to poets, which is why some wondered if he’d be willing to portray the Earl of Grantham once again. “How could I not? We were so overwhelmed by how the show was taken into so many people’s hearts all around the world,” he says. “The affection I’ve been offered is quite astonishing.”

Downton Abbey is a family saga, a story of people forced to deal with changing times, new realities and changing values—themes that Bonneville says he has been experiencing in his personal life.

Just like the characters in the show, I believe that ultimately, people try to do good

“I’m in my mid-50s and there have been some life events of late,” he explains. “One loses family and friends, sometimes those you feel you shouldn’t have lost, and it makes you reflect on your own mortality. There’ve been times when I’ve felt like a hamster running on a wheel and chasing the next piece of work. But now I’m taking a little more stock of life.”

He adds: “And, to be honest, without sounding like I’m sitting on my rocking chair with a very long pipe, I’m reflecting on my garden a little bit more. I’m taking great pleasure in planting new stuff and pursuing new interests that I didn’t have time for before, because I was so busy rushing around.”

Many of the themes represented in the show—the passage of time, the struggle to maintain the status quo, C R E AT E

gratitude, integrity and honor—have all become more important to him lately.

“I’m a good example of the sandwich generation,” says Bonneville.

“My son is reaching the age where he’ll be flying from the nest soon. And at the same time, I have a father who’s 92. He’s still going, plays piano and still has interest in life—but I know the curtains are gently drawing there, which is sad because of how much my parents mean to me.”

As a surgeon and a nurse, Bonneville’s parents dealt with life and death every day, which caused Bonneville to wonder if they’d support his dream of becoming an actor.

“I expected them to be horrified,” he recalls. “My father taught his three kids to take work seriously but live with a lightness of touch. And so when it came to confessing that I wanted to do something as daft as to tread the boards, I expected him to bat me down. But quite surprisingly he told me to go for it. I often wonder, had I not had that support from my very loving parents, if I would have had the courage to follow my dreams. I’m eternally grateful to them.”

As for his return to Downton Abbey, Bonneville says the lessons learned by the Crawleys remain important in the real world.

“Just like the characters in the show, I believe that ultimately, people try to do good,” he says. “They may make bad choices and do wrong things, but I try to see the good in people.

Sometimes you’ll be abused for it, have the wool pulled over your eyes, but I think if we try to see the best in people, a lot of the time they will deliver.”

Bonneville believes he and his character, the Earl of Grantham, have one trait in common: a growing appreciation for the importance of perspective. “We’re both coming to realize what may be life’s most useful skill—how to find bright lights in the darkness.”

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

63

MY DEAR BOY MARC MIDDLETON

Joanie Schirm had hoped to travel when she retired 10 years ago. Bur she had no idea that her journey would be one of personal discovery. Along the way she uncovered family secrets, revealed an international network of young people fleeing Nazi persecution and became a respected scholar, teacher and award-winning author.

“It’s been an unexpected, uncommon journey that I’ve adored from the very beginning,” Schirm says. “It’s changed my life and broadened my perspective about so many issues.”

It all began after her parents died within two days of one another. Schrim discovered nearly 400 letters, handwritten in Czech, while sorting through her father’s belongings.

Her father had rarely mentioned his life before coming to America. So, overcome with curiosity, Schirm had several of the letters translated. The first translation would change the trajectory of her life— it was a letter to her father from her grandfather, written just days before he and Schirm’s grandmother were taken to a Nazi extermination camp. It was dated April 21, 1942: My dear boy. Today we are leaving for a gathering point to follow the fate of those unfortunate people in three-to-

64

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

four days who, since last October, have been gradually chased out of their homes, sent to concentration camps and robbed of everything they had. This happened to us as well, and we had to leave the ground floor and its furnishings. Carrying only the necessary clothes, we are setting out on a journey not knowing the day of our return or when and where we can be reunited again. I am not certain I will see you ever again, so I decided to write these lines as my good bye to you.

“I always try to imagine my grandfather sitting there and writing that letter to his son,” Schrim shares tearfully. “And then I imagine my father receiving it.”

Her father, Dr. Oswald Holzer, wouldn’t receive the letter until three years later, in 1945. As he opened it, he knew he was reading his father’s final words and, as he read, he learned his father’s final wishes: You have always been a good boy and we are proud of you.

I wish for you to find full satisfaction in your profession. I also wish that your profession of curing doesn’t just become a source of wealth for you but that you yourself become a benefactor for the suffering humanity.’

S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : G E N E O L O GY

“

It's been an unexpected, uncommon journey that I've adored from the very beginning.

Photo by Trae Patton/NBC

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

65

“And that was how I met my grandfather, a man I never had the opportunity to meet in person,” Schirm says. “I instantly fell in love with him when I read the letter.”

Inspired by a single letter, written by a relative she had never met, Schirm had all 400 letters translated. She discovered that they were penned by 78 different writers.

When pieced together, they revealed a fascinating, heartbreaking and ultimately inspiring story—with her father as the central character.

Oswald Holzer was a young doctor in the Czech army when the Nazis arrived in 1939 and incorporated his unit. In a daring escape, Holzer returned to Prague to see his parents before making his way China, one of the few countries accepting those of Jewish heritage.

It was there that Holzer met and married Schrim’s mother—the daughter of American missionaries. Within months they were on the President Coolidge evacuation ship carrying Americans from Asia as the Japanese became more aggressive in advance of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

From the United States they moved to South America. It was there, while working the oil fields of Ecuador, that Holzer received many of the letters, including the final letter from his father.

The letters offer a first-hand account of a global network of young people fleeing the Nazis and attempting to build a future in all corners of the world.

Despair brings darkness into our lives, but hope invigorates us and moves us forward.

Translating the letters wasn’t enough for Schirm. She traveled to the places mentioned, met the few writers still living and interviewed descendants of those who had died.

In the end, she uncovered a story that she had to share.

“When I started writing it was all new to me,” Schrim says. “I had always wanted to write, but I was quickly overwhelmed. A friend of mine said, ‘You should just go upstairs one day and strip down and wear the pants. That will give you inspiration.’

And that’s exactly what I did.”

The pants are riding pants that Schirm also discovered among her father’s belongings. The letters revealed that he wore them instead of his military uniform to blend in with civilians on the day that he made his escape from the Nazis.

To Schirm, the pants were emblematic of far more than Holzer’s bravery and ingenuity. “They represented everything,” she says. “They represented the fact that my brother, sister and I exist.”

66

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

The pants are now part of an important historical collection and an educational platform that Schirm has built and shares with teachers and students in the U.S. and Europe.

“I’ve spent a lot of time training people to teach the lessons of the Holocaust and the importance of protecting human rights,” she says. “What really exists in those letters is the build-up to what happened in Germany in the 1930s; what happens when autocrats gain control.”

Schirm has woven those lessons into a dramatic piece of historical fiction appropriately titled, My Dear Boy, A World War II Story of Escape, Exile, and Revelation.

“It’s important to understand that history, because there are many echoes of it today around the world,” Schirm notes.

“There are so many attacks on human rights. There are so many people being displaced and leaving everything behind as they search for a safe place to live and raise their families.

It's the worst of human history rearing its ugly head.”

Before discovering the letters that transformed her life, Schirm had known very little about her father’s life before coming to America. “When Schindler’s List came out in 1993, I asked him if he would see the movie with me,” she recalls. “I now realize that was crazy. It was the loudest ‘No!’ I ever heard from him.”

That night, Schrim recalls, her father sat down and typed a list of the 44 relatives whom he knew had been killed, along with where he thought they had died and the year they were taken from their homes.

What Schirm has always known about her father is that he was married and in love with her mother for 60 years. And despite the horrendous murders of dozens of relatives he was never bitter and passed on a spirit of hope and optimism to his children.

She now knows that he was also granting his father’s dying wish by becoming a pillar in his community and using skills as a doctor not to make money but to make a difference.

It was his ultimate triumph over one of the most evil forces in history. And it gives Schirm hope for the world today.

“Despair brings darkness into our lives, but hope invigorates us and moves us forward.” She says. “I believe that one candle can light up a room and one person can make a difference. What I see today are a lot of re-engaged people and a new generation speaking up and becoming active.”

With her new book just released, Schirm has two more books in the works and a second career that’s going strong and has her excited for what’s next.

“I'm 70, and that was a number that sounded daunting a while back,” she admits. “But now I feel great. I’ve been given a purpose that I never expected. I feel very fortunate. Women of my age look at the world differently than our moms did— and we're lucky for that.”

For more information about Schirm and book, My Dear Boy, A World War II Story of Escape, Exile, and Revelation, visit joanieschirm.com.

The Senior Business Directory provides opportunities for entrepreneurs of all ages to connect for mentorship and partnerships on exciting projects led by seniors.

Benefits of joining the Senior Business Directory include: Invitations to our live cultural and networking events Curated content on positive aging and best practices for senior entrepreneurship Digital advertising services for senior businesses Access to our online community of creative entrepreneurs of all generations

“I designed a business plan from the ground up.�

“I produced an entire networking conference.�

“I built an app for a non-profit across multiple platforms.�

“I designed an entire social media strategy for a startup.�

Ryan

Nicole

Jacques

Alana

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

67

BEFORE IT’S TOO Legacy Life Project MARC MIDDLETON

68

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

You don't have to be a famous person to have a story worth recording and preserving. Every single mom and dad, aunt and uncle and grandparent, has an interesting story.

Jim Hobart always had an eye for composition and a desire to tell stories. He began working as a photojournalist for a local newspaper on the day he graduated from high school.

He started his own advertising agency after college and in 2006 launched MacBeth Studio, specializing in commercial and portrait photography.

About 20 years ago, Hobart borrowed a home video camera for a trip to England to visit relatives. One of those relatives was an aunt, who began telling stories about World War II and walking through the rubble after a bombing raid.

“I suddenly remembered the camera sitting in my suitcase upstairs,” he says. “I ran up and got it, put it on the coffee table, hit the ‘record’ button and said, ‘Start again. Tell me everything.’”

Hobart did the same thing a few days later while visiting his grandmother. Both women died a short time later, and when he returned to England for their funerals, he remembered the videos.

“I realized that I was the only person who had a video recording of these two people who would be missed by so many,” he recalls. Those spur-of-the-moment home videos instantly became priceless family treasures.

“When I spoke to my aunt and grandmother, they were both perfectly healthy, vibrant and vivacious,” Hobart says. “But life happens fast. I decided to capture the stories of all of my relatives and friends because you just don't know.”

Hobart went back to work believing that he still had plenty of time to pursue his passion project. But a new sense of urgency developed last Thanksgiving, when his father suffered a seizure that was later attributed to a brain tumor.

“Everything changed that day,” he says. “I had huge regret. I beat myself up for procrastinating and missing my chance to sit down with my dad and videotape his story.”

Fueled by a passion to help others not make the same mistake, Hobart launched the Legacy Life Project to share the extraordinary stories of ordinary people.

S P E C I A L S E C T I O N : G E N E O L O GY

“Everybody has a story,” he says. “You don't have to be a famous person to have a story worth recording and preserving.

Every single mom and dad, aunt and uncle and grandparent, has an interesting story.”

Hobart believes that the best person to elicit those stories is almost never a relative, but rather a well-prepared interviewer skilled at asking the kinds of questions that evoke revealing responses.

He notes: “An outside observer coming in with a list of questions, without the children around, will get a much more unvarnished and complete story. In almost every case, we uncover stories that the person who hired us didn't even know.”

Revealing interviews are the heart and soul of Hobart’s videos, but capturing subjects engaged in ordinary, everyday activities elevates Legacy Life Project videos to profoundly personal mini-documentaries.

“I can speak from experience,” he says. “The ordinary stuff is what you miss most when someone is gone. So, we get video of Grandma making coffee or baking pie, and Dad watering his prized roses or sitting in his favorite chair. Many times, children and grandchildren weep with gratitude when we deliver the finished video.”

Hobart will never get over the regret of not interviewing his father when he had a chance, of not capturing on video the unique idiosyncrasies that made him who he was. But he has dedicated the Legacy Life Project to his father’s memory.

“Don't wait until it’s too late,” he says. “We all learn that memories are fragile, fleeting and often inaccurate. A video recording is a gift for everyone, including children who haven't been born yet and will one day want to know, ‘What's my lineage?

What's my ancestry? Where do I fit into the world?’”

For more information about the Legacy Life Project, visit macbethstudio.com/legacylifeproject

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

69

DEVELOP A PLAN TO AGE IN PLACE

Location and logistics for the next stage of life JOSEPH COUGHLIN , PH . D.

70

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Preparing yourself for the next stage of life often begins with determining where and how you’ll be spending it.

One of the main questions facing Americans today concerns housing needs as we get older.

Specifically, it’s about the decision whether to stay in our current homes and communities as the years go on. According to the AARP, nearly 90 percent of adults age 65 and older intend to stay in their homes as long as possible.

Often, the memories associated with our homes and being comfortable in familiar environments are the leading factors in wanting to stay put. But here’s the reality: Even if you’re determined to age in place, work needs to be done.

A H O M E FO R A L I F E T I M E

How will you continue living in your home safely and independently? When we’re younger, most of us take for granted our ability to do daily house cleaning, maintenance and basic repairs—even home modifications.

However, forward-thinkers understand our homes as they appear today are most likely not ones that can sustain us into the future. Incorporating universal design principles — a framework used to create a more functional living environment—into our modifications can greatly increase accessibility.

These changes include widening hallways, creating single-floor living spaces and adding safety modifications to accommodate medical equipment, walkers and wheelchairs.

WO R K T O B E D O N E

A 2015 study conducted by the Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence and the University of Southern California Davis School of Gerontology found that 40 percent of baby boomers expect to remodel their homes soon.

The bathroom and kitchen—often areas most in need of updates for aging in place—came out as the top two rooms many of us plan to tackle.

However, most of these projects were centered on aesthetics, with only 21 percent saying they were considering their age or health while planning the project.

This is where we can be proactive and get our aging-in-place planning started.

We can start by incorporating design modifications into already-planned projects.

These modifications (listed below) can range from minor to major, depending upon our needs.

FINANCE

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

71

Top Trends for Aging in Place Here are the leading requests contractors hear when working with clients to upgrade their existing homes for longevity.

THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE:

--- --- ---

---

Level the home’s entryway.

Install proper lighting, both inside and out.

Replace light switches with rocker switches and install lighted switch plates.

Enlarge doorways to at least 32 (preferably 36) inches wide to accommodate a wheelchair.

---

---

---

Reduce the need to use the steps by shifting the bedroom to the main floor.

Mount handles on beds to help with getting in and out.

Install closet storage systems that makes things easy to reach.

I N T H E B AT H R O O M :

IN THE KITCHEN:

--- --- --- ---

---

---

---

Build a full bathroom on the main floor.

Install a no-threshold shower.

Add grab bars near the toilet and in the shower.

Install lower toilet seats

Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph.D. is Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab. His research examines how the disruptive demographics of an aging society, social trends and technology will shape future innovations in business and government. Coughlin teaches in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning as well as Sloan School of Management Advanced Management Program. Coughlin is frequently interviewed by the Economist, Financial Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Straights Times and other business and technology publications.

72

IN THE BEDROOM:

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Free up space beneath a sink to provide open knee space for wheelchair use.

Raise the height of dishwashers to make them easier to load and unload.

Put easy-to-open pulls and handles on doors and cabinets.

The MIT AgeLab was created in 1999 to invent new ideas and creatively translate technologies into practical solutions that improve people’s health and enable them to “do things” throughout the lifespan.

Based within MIT’s School of Engineering’s Engineering Systems Division, the AgeLab applies consumer-centered systems thinking to understand the challenges and opportunities of longevity and emerging generational lifestyles to catalyze innovation across business markets. The MIT AgeLab provides insights to Hartford Funds about consumer behavior and decision-making, and trends in demographics, technology, and lifestyles. These trends impact the way people do business with financial-services providers.

A HELPING HAND

Understanding that modifications need to be made and working out the associated costs is one thing. Finding the right professionals to assist with those renovations is another. It’s often not easy to track down the most qualified contractors.

You can begin by searching for qualified professionals through the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) program.

The NAHB-developed CAPS program teaches housing professionals the technical, business management and customer service skills essential in what’s becoming one of the fastest-growing segments of the residential remodeling industry.

CAPS-certified professionals can be a trusted ally in your quest to age in place.

To find one in your area, go online to nahb.org/caps.

L O C AT E T R U S T E D S E RV I C E P R OV I D E R S

Preparing to age in place is about more than just home modifications. As we get older, our ability to do work around the house also may lessen. Household repairs, services and ongoing maintenance are often overlooked in our retirement planning.

We might need a helping hand to complete these tasks. Locating the right local businesses that specialize in the services we need can be a key strategy in successfully aging in place.

It’s important to factor the expense of these home assistance services into your financial plan: — — — — —

House cleaning.

Home maintenance and basic repairs.

Lawn care and landscaping.

Grocery shopping and delivery.

Laundry.

— Home modifications.

— In-home medical services and devices.

— Heavy lifting.

— Organizing and decluttering.

E N V I S I O N YO U R F U T U R E Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E

When you consider retirement planning, it’s easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. The first thing that comes to mind is probably, “How much money will I need?”

But whatever that amount may be, your finances are only part of the equation for a meaningful retirement.

We need to adopt an integrated and holistic approach to prepare ourselves to live longer—and to live well—in our homes. Identifying the necessary steps to maintain our homes may be just as critical to aging independently as the amount of money in our retirement savings.

A financial advisor can help integrate these issues into a comprehensive planning discussion to make aging in place in place more tangible for you and your family.

hartfordfunds.com

@hartfordfunds

888-843-7824

hartfordfunds.com/linkedin

N O T F D I C I N S U R E D • M AY L O S E VA L U E • N O B A N K G UA R A N T E E

The MIT AgeLab is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Hartford Funds.

Hartford Funds Distributors, LLC, Member FINRA. G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

73

CHARGE Four-Time Olympian Hopes His Unlikely Story Inspires You To Go For It JAC K I E C A R L I N

Have you ever had a dream, a desire or a goal that everyone tells you is unrealistic?

Don’t let others put a limit on your passion, because if you want something badly enough, anything can happen. There may be no better example of this can-do spirit than Ruben Gonzalez.

He wanted to be an Olympian, but all through school, he was that kid chosen last for every team. Even he admits that he possessed “limited athletic ability.” But he wouldn’t let his dream go.

Gonzalez began to research Olympic events in search of one that didn’t require extraordinary strength or an uncommon skill set.

“When I was a kid, my dad got me into reading biographies,” he says. “He told me that if you study the life of great people, you'll figure out what works and what doesn't work in life because success leaves clues. So, I started following the clues.”

Gonzalez tried to find something that didn’t require long workouts in the gym or on the track. It would need to be an event in which he could excel through mental tenacity, desire and focus. He found it in the sport of luge.

Born in Argentina, Gonzalez was raised in the United States, spending most of his childhood in Houston, hundreds of miles away from snow. At the age of 21, he set off on a quest to learn everything he could about the sport. Ultimately, it was persistence that gave him his opportunity. He tried to make the U.S. team but was cut. So, he tried out for the Argentina team and made it.

Not only did he achieve his dream, he has now qualified for the Olympics four times in four different decades.

“What I realized my story is really all about is the study of success and how to achieve it,” Gonzalez says. “I saw that the story behind every great person has the same three parts: a dream, the struggle and victory.”

Now 58, Gonzalez has suited up again and is training for what may his biggest challenge yet: making the team for the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022. If he succeeds, he’ll become the oldest Olympian in history.

“My coaches say that I'm like a really old car that doesn't have that many miles on it,” he says. “I’ve taken a lot of breaks and that's actually worked for me. It wasn't planned that way, it’s just the way it happened.”

He last competed in Vancouver in 2010. Then boredom set in and he was eager to get back on the sled: 74

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Four-Time Olympian Hopes His Unlikely Story Inspired You to Go for It

“My coaches said, ‘You're sliding better than ever. You’ve been sitting at that desk so long building your business, you need to do a little yoga so we can stretch you out. But mentally, you're stronger than ever. You’ve got a shot.’ And that’s all I can ask for—a shot.”

That business is a thriving career as a best-selling author and motivational speaker. Gonzalez dedicates his life to encouraging others to dream big—to not put a limit on their potential. He wants to give them the courage to succeed.

His first tip is to surround yourself with active, engaged and interesting people. Gonzalez says it’s important to hang around with people you respect and who are doing things.

Avoid those who whine, complain and “brag” about their various medical issues.

Before long, he contends, you’ll start picking up the achievers’ positive habits and mindset.

“All you have to do is believe that your goal is possible,” he says. “I try to take people’s excuses away. Everybody allows fear of failure and fear of the unknown hold them back.

Through my crazy Olympic story, I try to give them hope. I want to sprinkle a little pixie dust, so they’ll face their fears and charge forward.”

If Gonzalez finds himself back on an Olympic team in 2022, he’ll break a record that’s stood since 1924. But he hopes that new record will last only four years.

“My goal is to inspire other guys and other gals to get back into that arena and to do it,” he says. “Stop worrying about how old you are! Just because you might have a little ache and pain here and there, that's OK. Mentally, you're stronger and you have all this knowledge and wisdom. So, why not?”

Why not, indeed.

DEFY

Stop worrying about how old you are! Just because you might have a little ache and pain here and there, that's OK...

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

75

FROM GOOD INTENTIONS TO NEW HABITS FOR AGING WELL The Vitality Portfolio Can Help You Take Action ®

K AY VA N N O R M A N

Maintaining health and independence is consistently listed as one of the top two aging concerns. The other is building financial security.

Creating a financial portfolio by making a plan, balancing assets, and making regular deposits is a familiar strategy to build financial security.

76

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

But what about your health and independence? Do you have a plan? Have you considered what “assets” you’ll need to support lifelong vitality, and whether your daily habits—your deposits—are taking you toward or away from your healthy aging goals?

Most people, if asked, say they intend to age well. They can recite what’s necessary to retain health—eat nutritious food, be physically active, stay engaged in life—but have a difficult time moving from intentions into actions.

I wanted to help people bridge this gap and embrace positive change. So, I created a practical roadmap to lifelong health in three simple steps I call the Vitality Portfolio®: — — —

Make a plan Balance vitality assets Make regular deposits

MAKE A PL AN

Wellness, including the six dimensions of health.

Core, including ageless thinking and resilience.

Functional, including strength, mobility, and endurance.

Fourth of July barbeque! It was a very clear signal: “Don’t count me out I’m still part of this group.”

Seven weeks later, Eldo called to say the doctor had cleared him to ride and we went to the mountains. After two months of building strength and stamina, he rode our annual 24-mile loop in Yellowstone National Park. Now age 89, he continues his passion for riding. How different his story would have been without ageless thinking and resilience.

Functional Assets: Strength, mobility and endurance are essential functional assets. Yet it’s easy to disregard gradual changes. For example, if you’re not regularly challenging your strength, you’re losing it, at an average rate of about 1 to 1.5 percent per year after about age 30.

That doesn’t sound like a lot until you do the math and realize that you can easily lose almost half your strength by age 70. That’s like going about your daily life carrying a backpack filled with your body weight (half the strength requires double the effort).

In some ways, immediate feedback would serve us better. For example, if after a week of sedentary behavior we found ourselves unable to get out of bed, that would inspire action!

Following are expanded explanations about these three assets:

MAKE DEPOSITS

How long do you expect to live? I ask this question during keynote speeches and people always seem to have a number in mind. Consider your number. Where it comes from is a question for another time, so consider instead what you want to be able to do through your full lifespan! Whether your number is 70-plus or 100-plus, consider where you want to live, what you want to be able to do and what you need to make that happen.

People often spend more time planning vacations (where, what, how) than they do planning their lives. Making a vitality plan helps you set, track, and reach your goals for lifelong health.

B A L A N C E V I TA L I T Y A S S E T S

After 25 years immersed in the field of healthy aging, I’ve identified three main assets groups that, when combined, consistently create a strong foundation for lifelong health.

Wellness Assets: To assess life balance, visualize the six dimensions of health—physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual and vocational—as spokes on a wheel. Consider how many regular deposits you make into each dimension (spoke).

If you drew your Wellness Wheel today, would some spokes be large (lots of deposits) while others would barely exist? Are you missing an entire spoke on your wheel? The Wellness Wheel is a visual reminder to consciously create a richly balanced life for optimal health.

Core Assets: These assets—ageless thinking and resilience— are my favorite things to talk about! You’re probably already well aware of the power of attitudes and expectations to uplift and enrich lives.

Immersing yourself in a culture of possibilities and associating with others who believe in positive aging helps you deliberately reject negative expectations of aging and activate Ageless Thinking. It also triggers a mindset of resilience to engage adaptive strategies and keep moving forward, regardless of age or challenges.

My friend Eldo taught me everything I needed to know about the core assets. At age 82, he broke his back and neck falling off a haystack. His large group of horseback riding friends were devastated, certain he was finished.

But when I walked into his hospital room, the first thing he said was, “I can’t believe I messed up my whole summer of riding.” It never occurred to him that he couldn’t recover because of age. With Ageless Thinking, every decision he made, every action he took, was focused on fullest recovery.

Eldo also activated the building blocks of resilience: optimism, self-efficacy, purpose, and social engagement. He made a plan and asked for what he needed to recover. Two days after being discharged from the hospital, he co-hosted a

DEFY

It’s not enough to have a plan and identify vitality assets. You must choose action. You must make deposits! Many people fear the big things that can derail health, such as an injury or illness.

But most often, it’s the small choices, made day after day and compounded over time, that determine health outcomes.

Don’t leave your health to chance. Make a plan, balance your assets and make regular deposits for lifelong vitality.

Kay Van Norman is president of Brilliant Aging and an internationally known author, writer and thought leader in healthy aging.

Her passion is uncovering hidden barriers so that people can move from intending to age well into taking actions that will help ensure that they age well. Visit kayvannorman.com for a free downloadable Vitality Portfolio® tool kit to get you started.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

77

5

Courtesy Webster Public Relations

QUESTIONS JAC K I E C A R L I N

The Gambler Plays On

Kenny Rogers Reflects on Old Friends and New Passions Kenny Rogers is a country star, pop star, record producer, photographer, actor, entrepreneur, autobiographer, novelist and philanthropist. In his more than 50 years in the music business, he has sold more than 120 million records worldwide across a variety of music genres, including country, pop, gospel and soul. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, he’s recorded some of the most beloved country music songs of all time, including The Gambler, a song so popular it inspired five TV movies starring Rogers. Now 80, Rogers admits he may be slowing down physically; but creatively, he’s more passionate and engaged than ever.

You’ve been very open about your humble upbringings and the fact that you were born into poverty in Houston, Texas. When you were a child, you and your sister went to a show and it changed the course of your entire life.

What happened?

When I was 10 or 11 years old, we went to a Ray Charles concert. I can still remember looking around that show and thinking to myself, “Wow, here is a guy doing things people love. They clap at every song he sings; they laugh at everything he says. Who wouldn’t want to do that?” Then, years later, Ray became a good friend of mine.

The music business is notoriously fickle. You’ve experienced some of the highest highs possible but you’ve also endured some down times. What helped you through those experiences? How did you overcome your obstacles?

My mom gave me a piece of advice when I was young. She said, “Son, always be happy where you. Never be content to be there; but if you’re not happy where you are, you’ll never be happy.” Even when I’ve had down points in my career, I was still making a living doing what I wanted to do, and it was better than where I came from.

78

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

You recorded a duet with your long-time friend Dolly Parton many years after your duet Islands in the Stream was a chart-topper. What was it like to work with her again?

It was such a touching experience to record the song You Can’t Make Old Friends with my friend, Dolly. That song was written about our lives and our relationship by Don Smith, the same guy who wrote The Gambler. We were singing the song in the studio, and I looked up, and Dolly had left her microphone, had come all the way around to my booth and put her arms around my neck and said, “Kenny, I want you to know something. I could never sing at your funeral.” I was like, ‘What?!? Are we assuming I’m going first? Is that what you’re saying?” But that is so Dolly. It was a very sweet moment in our lives and our career, and I’m thrilled about that experience.

What’s life like for Kenny Rogers in your 80s?

Well, I have no original working body part; but other than that, I’m fine! I keep going and I feel good. I just don’t get around as good as I used to. I’m very passionate about my work with the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center in Sikeston, Mo. When I first got involved with the Center in the 1970s, it was seeing 500 patients a year and struggling to make ends meet. Today, I’m proud to say we treat 5,000 children a year and the families are not charged anything. (Editor’s Note: Through its various therapy programs, the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center serves children with a variety of special needs and developmental delays, including prematurity, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, spina bifida, autism and more.)

What can the rest of us learn from your story?

I think I got my wisdom from my mother and my humor from my father. I think if you have a good sense of humor, you can overcome a lot of obstacles. If you can’t laugh at something, you’re going to be destined to stay there. I say no matter what hits you, it’s temporary if you let it be temporary. It’s permanent if you let it be permanent.

I N E V E RY I S S U E

Finding Your Passion Career How to Create Your Dream Job at Any Age

BY C H R I S T Y W I L S O N D E L K

To me, Growing Bolder means taking one more step toward my ultimate dream job. In my dream job, I’m the boss of me, and I have no employees except a part-time and very faithful assistant.

My job description—written by me, of course—is to inspire, encourage and guide you to pursue your dream job or small business.

My clients and I are Growing Bolder together. I know the opportunity costs of doing nothing are far too great to ignore.

As a joyful and committed work in progress, I believe there’s great value helping others pursue their passion careers.

If you already know what your dream job is—or at least the general field—skip to the second step.

In the next issue, I’ll outline the best steps for moving forward if your desire is to own a small independent business or franchise. Here’s a preview: Start with your means and two key numbers.

Christy Wilson Delk is a business professor at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, as well as a contributing franchise industry writer. With more than 15 years of successful franchise ownership, Delk uses her cumulative business and franchise experience, as well as her new book, Adventures in Franchise Ownership, to consult, lead workshops and give presentations about how to implement your own “4 Pillars” approach and achieve greater performance and success. Learn more at christywilsondelk.com.

FINANCE

1. Start by listing the two or three things that you do—or used to do—that brought you great joy. It may be gardening, cooking or something that has a physical aspect to it. Have you always enjoyed entertaining children? List that. Do your eyes linger at gorgeous floral arrangements and envy those who mindfully pursued their passion? List that.

2. Write down the type of organizations, enterprises and businesses that surround each passion you listed. Keep it general, such as floral shops, nurseries and gardening centers.

You want one list for each passion area listed. Circle the two or three that have the most appeal.

3. Ask yourself, now that you’ve refined your desire and opportunities, what exactly are you looking for at this point in your life? Do you want to supplement your primary income or social security? Are you looking for something to fill a specific—now empty—block of time during your week? Do you want to hone a skill and gain experience before opening your own business?

4. Consider who you know. This is bigger than you think, because the people you know also know people who might lead you to your next favorite boss or future business partner.

Start mining your connections and network. I feel confident that you know people who know other people willing to help you in this simple way.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

79

80

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Even healthy individuals can find themselves in a life-or-death battle with heart failure, through no fault of their own. Steve Lacey is a lifelong athlete. He started swimming in the fourth grade and competed all the way through college. While swimming was his primary sport, Steve always enjoyed cycling. After his collegiate swimming career ended at graduation, cycling became his primary sport and hobby, until heart failure made it impossible for him to ride.

FROM TRANSPLANT TO BRONZE MEDAL An athlete makes the most of his second chance

HEAL

Steve caught a virus that attacked his heart. He went from being healthy and active to facing a heart failure diagnosis. One plummeting metric landed Steve on the heart transplant list.

Ejection fraction (EF) is a measure of the percentage of blood pumping out of your left ventricle, your heart’s main pumping chamber. Normal, healthy hearts function at an EF of 55%-65%. Steve’s EF dropped to 10% because of the damage the virus caused to his heart. Steve was told he would need a Left Ventricular Assist Device prior to a heart transplant.

It took five months to find a heart transplant for Steve. Dr. Nirav Raval of the AdventHealth Transplant Institute was Steve’s heart failure cardiologist. During those 5 months, Dr. Raval offered medical management and therapies to Steve that improved his strength and prepared him for a transplant surgery and recovery.

On his daughter’s birthday, Steve was told he would be getting a heart transplant. At 10pm, he received a call that there was a heart for him. He and his wife called back fifteen minutes later to confirm that Steve wanted to proceed with the heart transplant.

“We made the decision rather quickly because time is of the essence. Knowing that they’re going to take your heart out and give you a different one...the unknown on not waking up...that was tough to prep for in a very short period of time. I thought I was ready for it, but that was really hard. Plus, we asked the surgeon if we could wait until the following day because I didn’t want anything bad happening on my daughter’s birthday,” recalled Steve.

Steve’s 10-hour heart transplant procedure was successful. After being released, he was out for a walk with his wife and said, “I’m alive again. Let’s go!” Three weeks after the transplant, after receiving earlier-than-typical clearance from Dr. Raval, Steve was back to riding his bike.

In his next clinical visit, Steve asked Dr. Raval about the Transplant Games of America—because he wanted to compete in them. Dr. Raval wasn’t surprised at all.

“Steve is a very driven individual. He was very active prior to having heart failure and I really expected nothing less,” said Dr. Raval.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

81

Nine months after his heart transplant, Steve was cleared for competition in Salt Lake City for the 2018 Transplant Games of America. When he and his wife went into the big event auditorium to pick up Steve’s race packet, that’s when he says it really hit him that every competitor he saw in that large room was able to be there because donors saved their lives. “The thousands of people who were there, wouldn’t be, without donors,” Steve said.

Steve competed in the 5K and 20K cycling events as well as in six swimming events. His daughter, a collegiate swimmer like Steve had been, and his son both attended to show their support. “On the day of the swim meet, my daughter handed me her college swim cap, so I wore that. And that was really special,” Steve said through tears. In the last event, Steve came in third, earning a place on the podium and a bronze medal.

“To me, it wasn’t surprising that Steve took a bronze medal at the Transplant Games. It shows how he’s going to live his life after his transplant. And I think that really sets the tone. Hopefully he’s an inspiration for folks that receive a second chance by getting a heart transplant,” said Dr. Raval.

Recognizing that each patient has different circumstances and outcomes, Steve offered this advice for those healthy enough to be active. “Whatever you can do, now that you’re alive, get out and live. And the ones that are healthy, enjoy life. Because it’s not there tomorrow sometimes for some folks.”

Whatever you can do, now that you’re alive, get out and live. And the ones that are healthy, enjoy life.

82

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

The AdventHealth Transplant Institute, a national leader in organ transplantation, is located in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 1979, the AdventHealth Transplant Institute treats adults and children, and specializes in heart, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas transplant programs.

To learn more, please visit AdventHealthTransplantInstitute.com.

Now Open: Health, Fitness & Wellbeing Made for You

Join the Peggy & Philip B. Crosby Wellness Center today.

The all-new Wellness Center is located within the Center for Health & Wellbeing. Experience everything you need for whole-person health in one place: fitness facility, lab services, healthy cafÊ, children’s wellness center, massage therapy, educational programming, personal training, physicians offices and more. For more information, and to join Crosby Wellness Center, call (407) 644-3606 or visit crosbywellnesscenter.org.

Mizell Ave

Crosby Way

North Edinburgh Drive

Center for Health & Wellbeing

N

Perth Avenue

Hospital Campus

Visit us today in the Center for Health & Wellbeing at 2005 Mizell Avenue in Winter Park.

WPH-565376_0319

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

83

NO RESERVATION Award-winning Homestyle Peruvian Cuisine at Chez Wong B O B BY W E S L E Y

“I’m sorry, but Javier says there’s no more.” That’s how I remember the conversation between Chez Wong’s lone server, a large Peruvian man checking reservations and hustling throughout the restaurant, and two twenty-something tourists.

“But it’s only 1:45”, they protested. “It says you’re open until 3:30.”

Maybe so, but today Chef Javier Wong has served all the food he’s going to make for the day. Now he stands leaning within the door frame separating the restaurant from his living room. He enjoys a cigarette while chatting with a familiar patron. He looks relaxed. Content.

You see, Chez Wong is lunch and reservation only. But more than that, Wong runs his restaurant—and seemingly his life—the way he wants to.

Chez Wong operates out of the first floor of Wong’s home, literally divided from his living room by a wall of photos and an open doorway. Each day he personally prepares the menu, perusing local markets for a fresh selection of seafood and vegetables for that day’s service.

He makes just enough for those on the reservation list, meaning one round of cooking, maybe two, filling dishes to the brim again and again until he’s out. Then he’s done for the day.

And he’s famous for it. Wong is celebrated for his commitment to the traditional approach to Peruvian midday meals. Many may recognize him from a featured segment on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. He’s a known commodity.

With that fame, Wong could certainly look to strike it rich.

Stay open a bit later. Offer take-out. Open for dinner. But for Chef Wong, that’s simply not on the menu.

What is on the menu is Wong’s daily double of traditional Peruvian fare: a ceviche to start, followed by a Chifa dish, a blend of Peruvian flavors and Chinese traditions (in Chez Wong’s case, a stir fry). There are no choices. Just those two dishes, served up fresh. You may ask: “That’s all we’re waiting T R AV E L

for?” Absolutely.

Peruvian cuisine is a series of culinary mash-ups. It was “fusion” before fusion was cool. The nation has a history of flourishing native empires but also of colonization, global immigration and the cultural collisions that occurred over centuries.

Pair that with a “megadiverse” climate that provides a bounty of crops—fun fact: Peru has around 4,000 distinct potato varieties alone—and you have a recipe for unique dining experiences.

The modern payoff is an incredible blend of ingredients, flavors and disciplines that has made Peru a worldwide foodie favorite. Named “the World’s Leading Culinary Destination” six years in a row by World Travel Awards, today’s Peru is home to internationally heralded celebrity chefs and Michelin-star restaurants such as Lima’s Central, Maido and Astrid y Gastón.

Add to that list Chef Javier Wong. Albeit more low-key.

So, that’s what I explained to those frustrated young tourists. They understood and, hopefully, gained some respect for a man committed to doing things things his way.

They had a flight to catch, they said, but they’d most certainly be back. Only next time, with a reservation.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

85

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 5 1

aging. I figured that an interview with Trafford would aid those efforts.

When I asked her on camera about the impact of the impending age wave, her answer was powerful and profound.

“I’m a journalist,” she said. “I know what a big story is. The creation of an entirely new life stage is not just a big story; it is the biggest story of our time. We’ll look back in 200 years and understand that it had the most significant and lasting impact on our species of any other event during our lives.”

It was a great sound bite. But it did nothing to change the mind of management, who were convinced that creating an on-air franchise targeting those not in the “prime demo” would drive away viewers and advertisers.

I scheduled a meeting with the 60-year-old publisher of our local newspaper, one of several big city dailies owned

by Tribune Publishing. Certainly, I thought, she’d understand the value of older consumers and be interested in a regular column about growing older with passion and purpose. After all, she was part of the generation that grew up with newspapers and still liked holding newsprint in their hands.

I saw age not as a disease, but as an opportunity.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. She didn’t even feign interest. “How can you not care about the majority of your readers?” I asked. She answered with dismissive authority: “Our older readers aren’t going anywhere. We won’t lose them, so we don’t need to cater to them. However, we need to do everything possible to retain and attract younger readers— and any content that targets older readers is a huge turnoff.”

I was dumbfounded. Realizing that I’d never have an opportunity to provide content to the paper—at least not under this publisher—I didn’t hesitate to disagree.

“Taking older consumers for granted is the worst business decision that any leader can make, especially one in the media business,” I replied. “They’ll grow increasingly comfortable with getting their news online and begin cancelling subscriptions as quickly as the younger readers you’re so desperate to retain.”

With subscriptions and advertising rates declining, the publisher retired within a year, noting that “the business has changed.”

86

It was certainly a contrarian business perspective, but I became convinced that celebrating the opportunities of aging and building the world’s first active-lifestyle brand targeting the 50-plus market was a worthy mission.

I was definitely focused on baby boomers, but my interest wasn’t in a single demographic group that would one day be gone. I was drawn to the opportunity of a new life stage that had the potential to improve the lives of everyone, forever.

I clearly saw the very real possibility of living lives of passion and purpose into our 80s, 90s and 100s. It was a very different vision than the one I had been exposed to from the moment I could look at picture books or observe my aging grandparents.

I didn’t accept the inevitability of disability and morbidity that was universally portrayed on television. Nor did I accept the inevitability of sadness, loneliness and even ugliness that advertising campaigns had warned me of for decades.

I saw age not as a disease, but as an opportunity. That vision, combined with the emerging digital revolution, provided the pathway to create a business and build a brand.

Suddenly, the media gatekeepers were gone. Broadcasting was becoming narrowcasting, and the need for content was greater than ever.

It was now possible for anyone to start his or her own online media network. “That would be a very bold move,” I thought to myself. “Especially at my age.” That’s the moment that the name Growing Bolder came to me and told me what I had to do. It cut through the fear and connected with the badassery that lives inside us all. It’s the key to overcoming ageism and living with passion and purpose at any age.

The name crystalized the concept, and without hesitation I made what can only be described as a Growing Bolder move. I walked into the president and general manager’s office and resigned from what had been the best job of my life.

I left behind a 25-year career that some might describe as glamorous and well paid. I took a leap of faith without a parachute, but with belief in my dream, a strong work ethic and an undeniable feeling that the universe would catch me on the way down.

For the first time in decades, I was no longer a TV news or sports anchor. I was an unemployed 58-year-old determined to stop simply growing older and start Growing Bolder.

I was a man on a mission to change the aging narrative from limitation to liberation, from challenge to opportunity, from weakness to power, from fear and regret to passion and purpose.

I was determined to disconnect from the ageist propaganda machine so pervasive in our culture and begin deprogramming the world from the insidious cult of youth.

How’s that for a “what’s next”?

1

Jim Hobart

2

3

1. Marc is a 7-time national masters swimming champion 2. Marc speaks nationally about the power of our belief system in healthy aging 3. The Middletons in Monte Carlo

Growing Bolder: Defy the Cult of Youth, Live With Passion and Purpose AVA I L A B L E N OW O N A M A Z O N .C O M

Special Section: Book Excerpt 87

SQUEEZE YOUR LIFE

Understanding the Successful Aging Curve R O G E R L A N D RY, M . D, M . P. H .

Growing Bolder is about getting the most out of your life, right? It’s about being all you can be for as long as you can… preferably as long as you have a pulse. It’s about maximizing experience, minimizing impairment, and when necessary, accommodating life’s curve balls, hitting them out of the park or at least getting on base. Being in the dugout of life is not acceptable. OK. We agree. But, how can we best do this?

When I set out to tackle these challenges with my book, I knew right away what the title would be. Looking at the graph of normal and successful aging was all it took. “Live Long, Die Short” was the only way to describe the dotted, successful aging curve.

In public health terms, this is called the “compression of morbidity.” Morbidity is when we’re sick, impaired and declining. Aging successfully—growing bolder—is compressing that time, squeezing it into as short a time as possible so we can be fully living our lives until we’re not.

So, again I ask, how do we do that?

research-based and data-confirmed approach we’ve successfully used with more than 40,000 older adults that my team and I have worked with during the last two decades.

No hype, no sales pitches, no exotic equipment and no trendy diets. This is about knowledge and understanding of who we are as humans, what we need to be healthy, how we make changes that stick and how we take control of our life’s journey. This knowledge will then help you make lifestyle choices that will enrich your body, mind and soul.

SIMPLE STEPS TO ‘FEEL THE SQUEEZE ’

Start moving just a little bit more.

Learn something, however small, every day.

Reach out to people, preferably being with them, looking them in the eye.

Smile more.

Begin asking yourself, “Why am I still walking the earth? What is my purpose?” The answer will most likely not come right away. But, just thinking about it is immensely helpful.

SIMPLE BUT ELUSIVE

The research is crystal clear: It’s all about paying attention to your lifestyle -- not just the physical part, but also the intellectual, the social and the spiritual. Moving more, always learning, staying connected to others in a substantive way and having meaning and purpose in your life are what make all the difference. Such attention is actually growth. This kind of growth is simple. Yet, for many reasons, it often eludes us.

Frenetic lives and confusion over what’s best gets in the way of compressing morbidity or “Feeling the Squeeze.”

As we have come to see with social media, everyone seems to have an opinion on just about everything, and how best to age in a better way is at the top of the list. A surging older demographic, with lots of resources, makes this area potentially lucrative for anyone who can convince us that their approach will do it. Claims about how best to exercise, train your brain, be with others and stay relevant do not fall on deaf ears. Some of these approaches have value, while some fail to consider the context of human aging. We’re motivated to be all we can be so we give some of these approaches a try, only to find we’ve wasted money and time. It’s akin to playing successful aging Whac-A-Mole, with a new or contradictory approach popping up even as we’re pursuing another.

In contrast, we focus on an easy, intuitive, effective, 88

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Do all this in small steps and you’ll begin to “Feel the Squeeze” in your life.

Roger Landry, MD, MPH is a preventative medicine physician, author of multiple books including the award-winning “Live Long, Die Short: A Guide to Authentic Health and Successful Aging.” He is president of Masterpiece Living, a group of specialists in multiple aging-related disciplines who partner with communities to assist them in becoming destinations for continued growth. Dr. Landry specializes in building environments that empower older adults to maximize their unique potential. To learn more, visit www. livelongdieshort.com.

TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH FOR PEACE OF MIND H E L E N VO N D O LT E R E N - FO U R N I E R C F P ® , J . D . , S P H R FINANCE

As a woman who wears many hats, I provide my clients with a holistic overview of their financial life. My mission is to help my clients fully understand complicated issues through education and personal attention. It is impossible for an individual without legal and tax background to effectively plan a financial roadmap. On the other hand, it is impossible for a professional with just legal and tax background to plan a financial roadmap without in-depth knowledge of a client’s financial goals, needs, and overall family situations. Too often, lack of planning leaves the client’s goals and needs unmet. Don’t let that happen to you or the people you hold dear.

As a Certified Financial Planner® and estate planning attorney, I place the utmost value on my clients’ financial and estate planning goals and objectives. I am dedicated to making the complex appear simple and to providing the sound legal and financial counsel that is required in every phase of my clients’ financial life management.

And based upon my 20 years of service, I have found several, repetitive missteps that I hope won’t catch you by surprise. I simply call them my Top Considerations, and I would ask that you review each of them and hope that you can gleam something for yourself.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

89

TOP 1

6

Life-Planning Considerations for 2019

AVOID PROBATE.

Ensure all of your accounts, including checking, savings and certificates of deposit (CDs), have a named beneficiary—you can’t imagine how many do not. And while you are checking, be certain that you have named an agent to act as your power of attorney should you become incapacitated.

Next, consider the enhanced life estate deed for all the real property you own.

Unlike the life estate deed, the enhanced life estate deed, also known as a “Lady Bird Deed,” can be used to transfer ownership of real estate outside of probate while the current owner—you—still retains complete control over the property during your lifetime. And should you need to apply for Medicaid, the five-year “look back” will not include the Lady Bird Deed as a transfer-of-asset since you still retain ownership. If your state does not allow for the enhanced life estate deed, consider a beneficiary deed or transfer-on-death deed as the alternative.

2 90

AGE OF MAJORITY.

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Know that all of your children or grandchildren that have attained the age of majority, (age 18 or 21, depending on your state), are legally separated. Why should you care? If they are in an accident, and you arrive at the emergency room, the hospital staff is legally not allowed to speak about their medical records without a health care surrogate form with HIPAA language naming you as their surrogate or agent. A healthcare surrogate form (also known as a healthcare directive) is a great birthday gift.

3

EMERGENCY CONTACT.

4

TRUSTEED INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS (IRAS)

5

AVOID TAXES ON IRA WITHDRAWALS.

6

AVOID CYBER BAD GUYS.

Speaking of emergency rooms, if there is an accident, how will the state trooper know whom to call? And please don’t think that most smartphones will provide this critical information without the password. Most state-sponsored departments of motor vehicles provide an online form for you to add your emergency contact information to your drivers license. This will allow the state trooper to simply scan your license and contact the appropriate person.

Nearly 48 percent of Americans surveyed said they store the majority of their wealth in retirement accounts such as a 401(k) or IRA. Do you have any of the following concerns about your beneficiaries: Lack of financial expertise?

Second-marriage situation where you have income going to your current spouse and the remainder to your children? Concern about emotional maturity of your children? Or the extreme influence of their spouse, lifestyle issues, etc.? If you answered yes to any of these, you should strongly consider a trusteed IRA arrangement. A trusted IRA will give you complete control now as well as how the IRA assets are passed on to future generations, including the “stretching” of the distributions to extend the tax-deferral as well as the control of a trust.

If you are at least 70.5 years old, and contribute money to a charity, consider making an IRA charitable distribution directly to the charity. The amount transferred to the charity will count as part of your required minimum distribution, but you avoid paying the federal income taxes. So, if you pay 20 percent in federal taxes, even though you won’t qualify for a charitable contribution on your Schedule A, you will permanently save that 20 percent tax you might otherwise be accessed. Stated another way, if you give, give tax-wise.

The next time you are sitting in a crowded group, glance to your left and your right and know that one of those two people have either had their identity stolen or have been scammed for cash. Don’t let this happen to you. Request your free credit report from the only website authorized by federal statute— www.annualcreditreport.com—at least annually. And if you don’t need to obtain any new credit accounts in the next year, freeze your credit. This will prevent the cyber-bad-guys from obtaining credit in your name. As a bonus, all that credit junk mail will cease as well.

Now that you have considered my list, why not sit down with your estate attorney or financial advisor and see what is on their list. As Sir Francis Bacon is attributed as saying, “knowledge is power.” I would add, “information is liberating,” so gather it.

Helen Von Dolteren-Fournier CFP®, J.D., SPHR is the founding member of the AEGIS Advisors, an independent, boutique firm specializing in making sense out of life-planning strategies. She shares her 20 years of financial planning and legal experience as a prolific speaker. Von Dolteren-Fournier leads educational seminars in the Central Florida area and throughout Florida on multiple topics including life planning, retirement choices, aging parents and estate planning. To learn more, visit www.raymondjames.com/aegisfinancial G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

91

KAREEM ABDULJABBAR Esther Lin

92

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

THE TAKEAWAY Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and a six-time NBA champion. That’s just the short list of kudos he can claim.

Off the court, Abdul-Jabbar’s accomplishments are perhaps even more meaningful. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, has earned widespread acclaim for his writing, including op-eds about such topics and culture and race.

He has authored nearly a dozen books, including an autobiography, historical non-fiction, several novels and a memoir about his relationship with legendary basketball coach John Wooden (Coach Wooden and Me).

Abdul-Jabbar says Wooden meant everything to him.

And the lessons he learned about life began on the very first day when the legendary coach scolded him for something seemingly as trivial as putting on his socks incorrectly.

“The message was, if you don’t do the right things to prepare, you won’t be ready for opportunity,” Abdul-Jabbar recalls. “Something as simple as a blister can keep you from practice. And if you don’t practice for Coach Wooden, you don’t play—and life is all about getting in the game.”

Wooden taught his young athletes much more than simply how to play the game, Abdul-Jabbar notes.

“Coach wanted us to go from having success on the basketball court to having significant change in our lives,” he says. “That enabled us to be good dads, good husbands, good citizens.”

Abdul-Jabbar also learned how to deal with adversity, something he faced when diagnosed with a chronic form of leukemia. He also underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery on his 68th birthday.

“Coach Wooden taught me that life is about learning to accept the bad with the good,” he explains. “If you have the right attitude, you can negotiate the ups and downs into the best outcomes possible.”

Abdul-Jabbar offered this advice, from his experiences on and off the court: “Now in my 70s, I see very clearly that the road to a life well lived is paved with small details, the little stuff, the daily grind and doing that to the best of your ability.”

Archive Photos / Stringer

Now in my 70s, I see very clearly that the road to a life well-lived is paved with small details, the little stuff, the daily grind and doing that to the best of your ability.

I N E V E RY I S S U E

G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

93

GROWING BOLDER Personal style was instilled in Derreck Kayongo by his parents at a young age, before they fled Uganda and the brutal regime of Idi Amin. Kayongo learned about cut, fit, alterations and style by watching his mother work as a wedding-dress seamstress. Both of his parents had a strong sense of personal style as self-expression. Kayongo rebuilt his life —and an impressive, public career—after coming to the United States as a political refugee.

Kayongo’s personal style is part of his public persona.

Kayongo was honored as a 2011 CNN Hero for founding the Global Soap Project. The organization recycles and sanitizes

used hotel soap for distribution in third-world countries, saving lives by preventing the spread of germs through the simple act of handwashing with soap. Kayongo also served as the CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Ga. The Georgia State Senate passed a resolution in 2016 recognizing Kayongo’s path from refugee to CEO. A sought-after speaker, Kayongo’s inspiring 2014 TED Talk, and hundreds of media interviews, teach audiences about the displacement of civil war, “giving voice to the voiceless,” said Kayongo. He inspires individuals that their contributions to the greater good can have a big impact.

1 Kayongo educates visitors to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Ga. The exhibit on the atrocities of violent leaders includes a photo of Idi Amin -- a daily reminder of how far Kayongo has come since fleeing Uganda and of those who have helped him. “Don’t take for granted the people that have invested in you.”

1

2

2 Sometimes more is more when it comes to accessories. Kayongo combines a tie, pin, pocket square, cufflinks, watch, bracelet and ring with a bold tone-on-tone ensemble.

3 Personal style is part of selfexpression for Kayongo. “Find time to be creative after your 9 a.m.— 5 p.m. job.”

4 Fun is in the details. Kayongo coordinates his look down to his socks and shoestrings. Mixing patterns and prints within the same color palette creates a bold look for business attire.

3

4

5

94

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

4

5 Travel style during a trip to Uganda with the Global Soap Project. “Legacy is not a matter of the wealth you acquire but the sacrifices you make to bring about positive change.”

I N E V E RY I S S U E

“Millions of women rely on Jean Chatzky’s calm, reassuring, realistic approach to wealth-building.

If you feel like you’re not making the most with what you have, read this book.”

—GRETCHEN RUBIN BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE HAPPINESS PROJECT AND BETTER THAN BEFORE

Available March 26, 2019 TO LEARN MORE:

W W W.WO M E N W I T H M O N E Y B O O K .CO M G R O W I N G B O L D E R / VO L . 3 6

95

with the world’s

smallest pacemaker

When a pacemaker ensures your heart never misses a beat, you can return to living a life of freedom and confidence.

With advanced tools like the world’s smallest pacemaker— which can restore your heart’s rhythm in just minutes—is it any surprise we treat more hearts than any other hospital in the U.S.? That’s a reason to feel bold. Feel unstoppable. Feel whole.

19-SYSTEM-02514

AdventHealthCardiovascularInstitute.com

96

GROWING BOLDER / SPRING 19

Formerly Florida Hospital