No wonder the makers of Botox are laughing themselves all the way to the bank. Today the pressure on women to be wrinkle free has never been greater. Could it be that aging gracefully IS actually as easy as it sounds? These two aging ski babes are in-the-flesh proof that yes, it is that easy. The key to winning the war on aging is to find an outdoor sport you love. Although one prefers to play in the snow and the other in water, they both radiate the same message. Use or lose it.
To Canadians, Nancy Greene-Raine is a celebrity ski icon who was voted Canada’s female athlete of the 20th century. A Senator and Sun Peaks Resort’s own celebrity mountain mama at age 71, Greene-Raine is living proof that skiing is a sport that can be enjoyed through the ages. Following in the footsteps of her Aerial Olympian Ski Mom, Greene-Raine is an Olympic gold medalist who calls Sun Peaks Resort her home. “It offers great terrain; trees, gullies, powder…but ultimately skiing is about who you are with” she boasts. The key to staying young is being active. Her ultimate workout is skiing nonstop down the Intimidator (A Sun Peaks Black Diamond run) or any long bump run at all. Here are a few rules she lives by. #1 Everything in moderation. #2 It’s more fun to win gold than silver. Nancy says she knows she’s been lucky living the ski dream. “I’ve had a magical life, that’s why I have no wrinkles”.
How many Grandmas do you know who can still Slalom water ski at age 80? Meet Pat Cody, a Vancouver native and water Betty who continues to rip up BC’s lakes with her 20FT Ski Nautique. Cody says her family chose to prioritize play. “Work hard, play hard…we bought a boat before we bought a house” she sparkles. Becoming a member of The Peace Arch Water Ski Club not only allowed her to take her sport to a competitive level but also opened doors to meeting an entire community of fellow water skiers she would embrace as friends. Cody was alongside three other men representing BC in the first Canada Summer Games in Halifax in 1969. Today her family still lives on the water. “We’re still skiing, Slalom, tricking (but not too tricky) and body surfing” she says.
For women like Nancy Greene-Raine and Pat Cody, living an active lifestyle is a choice. Skiing is a lifetime sport Greene-Raine explains and the key to staying young at heart forever. My own mother is still a hottie at age 68 and swears 1,000 hula hoops a day keeps the cosmetic surgeon away. Do find a sport you love and do make a lifetime commitment. These women are beautiful and the few wrinkles are just along for the ride.
