It’s February and I have waited intentionally. Once that glittery ball dropped, did you enter 2023 with a desire to eat better or to lose weight?  Perhaps you attempted one of the countless diets or eating plans promoted extensively during the onset of the new year. However, the difficult news is that “diets” do not work. “Popular diets simply don’t work for the vast majority of people. Or more accurately, they are modestly effective for a while, but after a year or so the benefits are largely gone.” Dr. Robert Schmerling. Problematic is that so many “plans” carry a bit of truth and j ..read more

Previous Next How much inspiration can be packed into two weeks? Approximately 12,000 athletes aged 50 to 102 recently converged on Ft. Lauderdale to run, swim, dink, shoot, spike, putt, throw and strive toward personal bests as they competed in over twenty sports. Yes, 102.  Oldest athlete honors were bestowed on North Carolina golfer Lindsay Tate, who shot  58, 58, and 61 on 9-hole rounds. While we didn’t witness Lindsay’s performance, being one of the “team moms” to the Tennessee contingent lent itself to such a joyful, cherished experience.  Traveling from venue to venue ..read more

Keep Moving All Day Long! Whenever I have the joy to observe an athlete in their 90’s still impressively competing, I always inquire “what’s your secret”? The answer, to a person, is always simply to “keep moving”. We are not meant to sit. This applies to ALL of us- those who exercise regularly and those who do not. It might seem that regular exercise gives one a pass to sit-away the rest of the day. I played 2.5 hours of pickleball yesterday not only on a beautiful day weather-wise with a clear azure sky overhead, but competition-wise as well.  Equally matched, the four of us ran and ch ..read more

Like a highlight reel, stories flood my memory as I reminisce over almost 30 years of my involvement and management of the Tennessee Senior Olympics. Women’s 60+ basketball team  celebrating the gold!Highlights such as: Witnessing a 90- year -old swimmer bravely competing for the first time and relishing the moment as the entire pool audience stood and erupted in applause as she finished. Cheering noisily as if I was at the Final Four, as our 60+ women’s basketball team finally dethroned a longtime Louisiana rival at the 2013 Nationals. Valerie and Herb Meader, taking a break from bowlin ..read more

This upcoming Halloween, Hollyce Kirkland will turn 102. One hundred and two! I caught up with this fascinating 101-year-old the other day.  Hearing bits and pieces of her story along the way, I wanted to take the time to listen and learn more. First of all, her crisp, clear voice belies her actual age.  Chattering along at a quick cadence, she simply sounds so much younger than her actual years. After I inquired about her health and activities, she exclaimed that all was well although she wasn’t getting out as much.  But as that statement left her lips, she told me that last fa ..read more

I love March Madness.  Tonight, I will be gleefully watching the 2021 championship, a ritual I have not missed since I was 16 years old.  Hoping for a buzzer-beater finale like Saturday night’s Gonzaga/UCLA slugfest, I will stick around through the net clipping, anticipating the playing of “One Shining Moment”.  Getting teary-eyed, I will revel in all of the clips from the past few weeks played to the backdrop of that song. Raised in Indianapolis, basketball was truly part of our upbringing and blood.  Shooting hoops out in our snowy shoveled driveway with neighborhood kid ..read more

Perusing the library shelves one day, I stumbled across a cookbook entitled The Blue Zones Kitchen. Upon reading the preface to the cookbook, I was intrigued to keep diving into the information, especially as it related to nutrition. Familiar but yet fuzzy, the concept of the Blue Zones required a bit more study on my end. Although nutrition can be flat-out confusing, it cannot be overlooked if we want to reach our personal best.  So many voices reach our ears clamoring about which foods are optimal.  How are we to sort through it all? Why not explore the healthiest communities arou ..read more

Cheers erupted as the 93- year-old determined walker came into view from amidst the green forested trees. The group of sweaty competitors who had previously finished continued a longstanding tradition of remaining until the last athlete checked off their journey. Crossing the finish line of his very first 5K at the Senior Olympics, true joy erupted from within him as he crossed the finish line, and I was blessed enough to grab a first celebratory hug. Not only is Boone Sumantri an inspiration for physical feats into his 90’s, but he is also an amazing role model for leading a balanced, wellne ..read more