When you think of yourself in your 70’s or 80’s what do you imagine doing for fun? Are you still engaging in activities you enjoy or are you now limited by your age?  Our perceptions related to our chronological age have a huge impact on what our bodies are able to do. 

 78 is not a random number.  It’s the age of Mary Krupp, who I had the pleasure of meeting on the first day of a vacation in Killington, VT.  We were in the parking lot getting ready to hike when I saw a woman with a respectable backpack (over 30 pounds!) also getting ready.  She and her hiking friend appeared to be at least 10 years older than us (mid to late 60’s, or so I thought).

 I approached the woman and told her about the Women Aging Better website and asked if I could take a picture of her, as she clearly seemed to be aging well.  She agreed and shared a little bit of her story with me. 

 Mary told me her actual age was 78 (not mid to late 60’s).  She also shared that she had decided to hike the entire length of the Long Trail (LT) in Vermont while she was 78 years old. The LT is a 273 mile hiking trail that runs through Vermont from the MA state line north to the Canadian-US border.  She and her husband have already completed 160 miles and were hiking an additional 5 miles toward their goal on the day we spoke. 

 She further informed me that she had hiked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail (AT) which she started when she was 58 years old.  The AT is a 2,200 mile trail that runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, and she did this not only once, but 1 ½ times.  She would have completed it twice but had some family issues that she had to address which kept her from this goal. 

 Mary is an amazing example of a woman aging better.  She clearly enjoys the outdoors and has a good friend she can share her passion with. She is intelligent about the ways she approaches her goals and works to meet them in a way that allows her to continue to move forward without hurting herself. 

 Her determination and perseverance are also wonderful reminders about what it takes to accomplish anything that is important to any one of us, regardless of our age. 

As women, we are constantly putting the needs of others in front of our own.  This is not a terrible thing but our own needs are also important.  It’s also important to remember that the better we take care of ourselves, the more we are able to give to others.

 Is there something big (or small) that you’ve been thinking about doing for some time and haven’t quite gotten around to it?  I personally have many big plans and sometimes get overwhelmed at the prospect of completing them because they seem so big and I tend to procrastinate when I feel overwhelmed. 

 Mary reminded me that any big goal can be accomplished by simply breaking it down into consistent, smaller manageable parts and moving forward in a planful way that makes the journey enjoyable. 

 We all want to get to the final destination but if we aren’t enjoying the process of getting there, we really are missing out on a huge part of our lives.

 Thank you for the clarity, motivation and inspiration Mary!  I applaud you and wish you great health, happiness and success in meeting your current and all of your future goals!!

 Action Step

 Part 1:   Think of one thing you can do for yourself today that will bring you some joy.  It can be anything at all.  Then do your best to prioritize yourself and make that one thing happen today.

 Part 2:   Consider a larger goal that has floated around in your head and you’ve thought that maybe it’s just not realistic.  Think about whether that’s true.  Mary started the AT when she was 58 and the LT when she was 78.  What might you decide to do??