By:
Jordan Rane, AmericanWay
Ever wonder how to life your life to the fullest, maybe reading about these young 70, 80 year olds will teach you something :)
Profile 1
JEAN KENDALL
Age: 75
Hometown: Spokane, Washington
VOCATION: Charitable work and raising a family.
AVOCATIONS: Heli-skiing, alpine hiking, scuba diving, overseas biking expeditions, and camping with my family.
LAST YEAR’S ITINERARY: Heli-skiing and cod fishing in Greenland, hiking in the Canadian Bugaboos, and trekking and fishing in New Zealand with my husband.
WHAT’S NEXT: Repeating as much of last year’s itinerary as possible.
PROUDEST MOMENT: While my outdoor activities sustain my spirit, I’m most proud of sponsoring scholarships for single parents at our local community college as well as a scholarship at the University of Iowa in honor of my brother, who headed a department there for 25 years.
TOUGHEST PHYSICAL/HEALTH HURDLE I’VE FACED SO FAR: Six years ago, a partial knee-replacement kept me off the slopes for a year. Then, two years ago, a bout with breast cancer required surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation -- but I won the war (and was rewarded with curly hair).
WHAT I’VE GIVEN UP: Doing the dishes.
WHAT I’LL NEVER GIVE UP: Heli-skiing. After more than six million vertical feet and 40 years, I can’t imagine quitting. Also, working through a personal bucket list I started when I was 50; I’ve already climbed Mount Rainier, trekked to the base camps of the major Himalayan peaks, circumnavigated Annapurna, summited Kilimanjaro, skied in Kashmir, and trekked in Bhutan.
PERFECT DAY: Gliding down an untracked mountain on skis in fresh, over-the-shoulder powder under a brisk blue sky.
MOST EXHILARATING EXPERIENCE: A tie between skydiving with my daughter and the birth of my first grandchild. Both experiences literally took my breath away.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE: Never pass up an opportunity to do something new. You regret the things you didn’t do, not the things you did.
LIFE PHILOSOPHY: The majority of people “hang up their skis” way too soon. And the minority, who don’t, have more fun.