Just last week, while on vacation, I met the woman I want to be in 30 years. My husband and I were on a snowmobiling trip in Wyoming staying in a great little B&B. The woman that runs it is 80 years old and thriving, having just finished cancer treatments earlier this year. Her name is Linn, and she is my inspiration.
I’ve always known that I wanted to be an active, healthy senior, but to be honest, I had no real-life models. Linn didn’t look like the 80-year-olds that I know. For starters, there wasn’t an extra ounce of fat on her body. But more importantly, she was doing much more than most of the 70-year-olds that I know!
It’s very unusual to find anyone running a business in their 80’s let alone one that requires so much physical activity. Every morning she’s up early to cook and serve a fabulous breakfast to all of her guests. Then she cleans and stocks the rooms, feeds the animals on their acreage, and makes a supply run at least weekly to the nearest city an hour north.
In addition to all of the work of the B&B, Linn takes care of her husband who has also had health issues this past year.
A little background
Let me give you just a little background on what Linn’s health journey has been up to this point. And I’m going off of my memory of our conversation, so I know I don’t have every detail here. I’m sure you’ll get the idea!
Born and raised in Wyoming, Linn moved away as an adult to pursue a career in the big city of Chicago. She was always active but had gotten more serious about fitness in her 40’s after taking a job at a gym in Texas while her husband was attending college. While working there, she became an instructor and enjoyed teaching other people how to exercise.
When Linn and her husband moved back to Wyoming after he was done with school, she opened the B&B. She wanted to keep exercising but the business didn’t leave her much time to fit it in. There was also the problem of no gyms in the rural area where they live.
Linn knew that if she was going to keep exercising she would have to do it before her workday started. She also knew it would motivate her to recruit other people to exercise with her. That’s when she got the idea to teach fitness classes to people in her community for free every morning at 5 am.
She didn’t just teach any classes either! These were high-impact aerobics/strength classes modeled after the Shaun T classes you can find on YouTube. She ended up teaching up to 40 men and women in her daily classes!
Her next challenge
Linn stepped up to her next challenge when she was in her early 50’s. Her dad decided he wanted to start bike riding and asked Linn to join him. So they got out their old bikes, that didn’t shift gears very well, and started riding. Remember, they don’t live in the flats, they live in the mountains of Wyoming!
Very soon after they started riding her dad signed them up for an upcoming race in Laramie, Wy. It didn’t matter that they didn’t have the experience, gear, or knowledge of racing, they were committed! He was apparently the mountain man type who was up for anything and would always figure things out.
Despite their inexperience, Linn and her dad did very well in that first race and got hooked. So they started training and upgrading their equipment. Before long they were racing all over the country and winning gold medals for their age groups, while also beating out many of the younger riders!
Dealing with cancer
Now if all of this isn’t enough to inspire you as it has me, then remember that I said Linn has been dealing with cancer this past year. In fact, she just finished up her last chemo treatments in January.
While going through those treatments she admitted to having days when she couldn’t get out of bed. She also had days when she didn’t want to get out of bed, but she did anyway. Having a purpose helped her to get up, take care of things, and keep pushing herself.
Linn had family members that had battled cancer in the past so she knew that getting through it took a strong immune system. So staying in shape and eating healthy were always priorities for her.
My husband and I also discovered that Linn is a bit famous in the surrounding towns. Everywhere we went people knew her and talked about her with great admiration. They saw her as a strong, capable woman that always rose to a challenge. She obviously inspired many more people than just me!
My final thoughts
We can all get through life by putting in just enough effort to do OK. But why just be OK when you could be thriving?!
I’ve known too many older people who pass their time watching TV, or on their computers and phones watching other people live big. Even in my 70’s and 80’s I want to be the person other people are watching because my life is still exciting!
I know my body will age whether I like it or not, and it will eventually break down. But as long as I have a choice I want to be on my feet, out of the recliner and discovering more of this big world!
So I will continue to fuel my body with nutrients to keep me strong, stay physically fit to keep moving, and constantly challenge my mind with new knowledge. If Linn can be amazing at 80, then I can certainly aim as high!
Have you met the woman you want to be in 30 years? If not, keep looking. Everyone needs inspiration to motivate them to keep reaching for more. But remember, you could also be an inspiration for someone much younger than you. Model the best life you can for those around you, and reap the rewards for yourself!
Related article: Don’t let age define you!