Manifest Resilience — Women come from years of overcoming personal and professional obstacles. Being hardy is infectious because it inspires others to bounce back stronger from their setbacks. I recall when having my hip replaced and the admiration I received from older and younger generations where amazed that my goal at sixty was to qualify for the Olympic Trials. The late Betty White died at 99. Her perseverance in her productivity only increased with age; undeniable motivation; and her ongoing focus on doing her job and doing it well extended into her golden years. She represents a reminder of why older citizens should be seen as valued members in the workplace in our society.

Aging is often accompanied by societal pressures and stereotypes, but many women are redefining what it means to grow older with authenticity and grace. How can women embrace aging and celebrate this phase of life with confidence? As part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Bonnie Frankel.

Bonnie began a new chapter in her mid-forties by re-entering the educational system that unexpectedly sculpted her career in the world of athletics. She began competing with women that were half her age as she redefined aging authentically. In her mid-years to now at eighty, Bonnie reshapes ageless aging with grace.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your backstory

I was fortunate to have grown up in a friendly thriving area in Bel-Air amongst the rich and famous. My parents were of Jewish descent that prospered from living the American Dream and shared their fruits of labor with me. During my childhood, I had a yearning desire that aging would unravel exciting, unexpected experiences that would guide me to thrive to be a woman of substance. I impatiently wanted to escape the confines of living in an exclusive luxurious protected lifestyle and not fall prey to the well of comfortableness. My ambition was to be independent and fearless to explore the adventures of life through failures and successes — the peaks and valleys of life. To begin the insightful process, I would safely lock myself up in my bedroom blocking out the mayhem outside my perimeter, and listened to the whispers of self-awareness linked with my self-efficacy f in search of my destined path. Most of my peers were engrossed with the chatter and the gossip of what was going on, but I on the other hand wanted to space out and dream of the possibilities of future pursuits. Afterall, I was and am a shaker and a mover.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to your particular career path

The enthusiasm of obtaining and maintain a healthy, fruitful, active, long-running independent lifestyle developed from my battle with breast cancer. In order to achieve the goals, I had to reacquaint myself with the new me physically, mentally, and emotionally. The first order of business was to initiate various forms of physical and mental activity to guide my mind to be keen and alert, my emotions to be in harmony, and grow to be physically fit. The pivotal turning point of finding the right exercise occurred when I enrolled in a running class that was offered in the educational system. One thing led to another as it always does and I unexpectedly fell in passion with the run including all the benefits that it triggered. I would continue to pursue a lengthy career in the field of athletics as an elite athlete, an activist, coach, speaker, and writer to motivate others to follow my likeness. I so aspired to inspire ageing women to embrace grace in redefining authentic ageless aging.

Can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an expert on aging authentically

The dedication with my continual search of a better me occurred from the challenges that led to changes that took place in my life with the continuity of listening to my inner dialogue as I flowered with age. To attain this goal, I would need to engage in exercising to soothe my emotional state of mind, and extend as well as sharpen my mental ability to generate self-awareness. I never let age or a failure prevent me from forging ahead with confronting meaningful endeavors as it nourishes me to be resilient to rise to the top of my game. This attitude re-enforces me to continuously check-in by using mindfulness, self-awareness to manifest self-discovery. This religious process, authorizes me to trust in self-belief through trial and error which allows me to live a rich colorful meaningful life. Embracing change, not stagnancy, identifying and reinventing myself contributes to the aggrandizement of my soul. My perpetual courageousness enables me to grow my mind which affects my attitude in how I thrive with age. My ageless beauty comes from my larger- than- life commitment to continually make a better me that in turn generates a better world. My victory over breast cancer resulted by re-inventing myself as well as setting an example for those that think they can’t, can. Authentic active ageing teaches me how to live without living for things outside myself: how to love without loving for personal gain; how to embrace life beyond the many million deaths I experience along the way. This my friends, is a legacy that authentic living and aging creates for those who I share my life with and those that follow.

How do you define authentic aging, and what does it mean to you personally?

The adventure of cultivating self-kindness that incorporates a sixth sense of wisdom with the practice of self-awareness. It welcomes the acceptance of growing older joyfully as our body, mind, and soul transform. The journey inward assists us to embrace our true selves by being vulnerable and open to new experiences and perspectives. Women that redefine age have a good understanding of themselves and their priorities because they know from experience that if they are not true to themselves than they are not genuine in helping others. They sense by giving others the space to express their thoughts/feelings because of their ability to activate active listening, illustrate empathy, and respond thoughtfully. The blessings of maturing inaugurated a predominate role in the second portion of my life because it brought the realization that possessing spirituality was a necessity of embracing my entire being to heartily welcome the natural process of aging. It made me more conscious that time is precious and to partake in what I felt passionate about. I am naturally physically and spiritually beautiful with possessing a true personal identity and am ageless. As the years pass, I become even more empathetic to others, fearless of my vulnerability, and clearly express my emotions. The courage of the ability to accept who I am even though it lacks perfection. I visibly maintain a healthy image, psychological maturity, and look at my cup half full — not half empty. I am ageless as I age. Ageing is what I thought it would be as a look back as a youth, a woman of substance.

Can you share a story about a significant turning point in your own journey towards embracing aging with grace?

The time when I turned sixty, and failed to qualify for the Olympic Trials. I was confronted with the decision to continue or quit. The goal seemed unattainable for me to continue due to the fact that my hip replacement served as a handicap at this level of competition and my age played a factor as well. The remedy to take the edge off of my decision to quit was to shift my aim to apply my gifted athletic ability with the knowledge I gathered through the years to continue with dignity in assisting others to maintain a healthy fitness. I would grow to learn that failure was a necessity in order to lead me to achieve success in an alternate format. It guided me into the area of coaching others with implementing a variety of mediums in using my experience and insights to illustrate the importance of exercise to the different ways it filters to better all areas in life. Sometimes in life, there are goals that we are not able to attain and by using our age of wisdom redirects are talents to a more possible heartfelt lucrative direction by embracing age with grace.

What are some common misconceptions about aging that you believe need to be challenged?

Some of the most important barriers in developing a good blueprint on ageing are ubiquitous misconceptions, negative attitudes, and assumptions. They are frequently stereotyped as dependent, frail, out of touch and present a burden. Ageless aging is characterized by diversity so that you can characterize individual ageing. It truly depends on your genetics and how well you take care of yourself which implements and sustains a sharp mind and a resilient body. Believe it or not, only a small portion of the older population are dependent on others for care. There are many that make contributions to their families and societies. Society as a whole should really avoid stereotyping that leads to discrimination against individuals and groups simply based on age. The population of aged will increase health-care cost is not valid. As we age, they tend to use health services less than younger adults. One way of controlling unnecessary health-care costs is to invest in long-term care systems. Enabling people to live long and healthy lives may also ease pressures on the inflation of health-care costs. There is growing evidence that at the age of around seventy, health-care expenditure per person falls significantly, with long-term care filling the gap if they prepare for the cost of this type of care. The expenditures on the aging population are an investment, not a cost. These investments can yield significant dividends in both the health and well-being of the older people and for society as a whole through the increased participation, the consumption and the social expenditures. In getting past myths, we can have a more accurate and positive perception of aging that tends to lead to better understanding, care, and interactions with older adults in our communities and families.

How do you balance self-care and societal expectations as you age?

There are countless benefits that stem from possessing self-care routines, but some of the most notable include: improved physical, emotional, and mental health fitness, increase independence and satisfaction, and enhance social connections. Let go of the pressure to conform to societal expectations or trends. It is essential to practice moderation and mindfulness in caring for yourself. Set realistic boundaries around time and make sure you allocate space for your self-care. Be mindful of the impact your self-care choices have on your overall well-being and responsibilities. Balance group activities with one-on one interactions as you share your feelings with honesty, participate in active listening to others without judgment. Ask for what you need from other and remember that it is okay to disagree with others in a respectful way. Avoid being critical, angry outbursts, and violent behavior. Using your emotional intelligence is a tool that not only empowers individuals but also fosters harmony within our communities. Self-awareness falls under the umbrella of emotional intelligence and is known as the “tightrope” that helps us maintain balance.

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. Can you please share “5 Ways Women Are Redefining Aging Authentically”? If you can, kindly share a story or example for each.

1. Female Empowerment — Ageing women are actively taking advantage of opportunities to express their feelings and their rights, as well as advocating for their communities. These women are rising in social standing and are prevail as a role model for the younger generations. When I re-entered the educational system in my mid -forties, I pioneered and championed a campaign to overturn an NCAA eligibility rule dominated by males. After the rule was passed, I was the oldest woman to compete against a younger generation of females in a division one sport. I am more often than not, sharing my opinions on various subjects, and pushing for much needed changes in other affairs in the world. Simone Biles is redefining age in female gymnastics as she is the oldest Olympian All-Around gold medalist since 1952. Simone is a huge testament to the today’s longevity of women’s artistic gymnasts. and still strong. “Aging like fine wine, Simone Biles leads U.S. Olympic team redefining age expectations.” The sport’s shifting culture that centers athletes has been the biggest force allowing U.S. female gymnast to redefine age with authenticity in the sport.

2. Compassionate Collaboration — Gifted with the female approach to leadership often emphasizes collaboration of competition. The aging woman tends to build networks of mutual support that benefit the whole understanding that a collective effort often results in achieving greater success. They “Celebrate the wins, challenges, and lessons learned,” because of their wide range of experiences. Studies have shown that women are more likely to care for the collective. “Being a good team player means helping all of my colleagues with what needs to get done.” The late compassionate Audrey Hepburn became a Good Will Ambassador for UNICEF and it became her primary focus; she raised money, visited countless countries, and continued to work for the foundation while battling cancer.

3. Empathetic Communication — Woman excel in having open and honest communication especially as they age. Their leadership style is often inclusive and transparent as they encourage feedback and share information openly with the goal of empowering their teams. They are able to use their experience with their years of developing the skill to connect with others, motivate and strengthen, and are open to becoming exceptional leaders. Nancy Pelosi was the most powerful elected woman elected to office in politics and changed minds about what it means to redefine ageing authentically. She makes age an asset for women in offices everywhere. She reflects an existing cultural belief that by using emotion with power are more generated by women than men.

4. Manifest Resilience — Women come from years of overcoming personal and professional obstacles. Being hardy is infectious because it inspires others to bounce back stronger from their setbacks. I recall when having my hip replaced and the admiration I received from older and younger generations where amazed that my goal at sixty was to qualify for the Olympic Trials. The late Betty White died at 99. Her perseverance in her productivity only increased with age; undeniable motivation; and her ongoing focus on doing her job and doing it well extended into her golden years. She represents a reminder of why older citizens should be seen as valued members in the workplace in our society.

5. Maximize Mobility — Exercise is often touted as a way to stay healthy and vibrant at any age, but as we authentically age it is particularly relevant. It is always my pet peeve. More of us are thinking about our future self and how investing in mobility can help preserve our range of motion, balance, and minimize repetitive stress injuries. It not only betters are cognitive effects, movement itself enhances our joyfulness, and creates a stronger body and mind. Research proves that it boosts our collagen productivity to reduce the appearance of existing wrinkles. For inspiration, Minda Dentler, para-athlete, is the first wheelchair athlete to complete in the Ironman World Championship. “With every turn of the wheels of my racing wheelchair, I made progress for the many polio sufferers who would never get this chance.” Ann Meyers Drysdale, a basketball player, born 1955, landed her first job in the NBA, which didn’t lead to a spot on the team, but she opened the door for future female professional athletes.

What advice would you give to women who are struggling to embrace the aging process authentically?

Think of aging as ageless. The impetus to the conscious aging is to have a sense of purpose that you are passionate about. Having a broad range of purpose is helpful. When you take care of your physical, mental, and cognitive health you are coming from a place of strength. Engage in an exercise you find joy in which will make it desirable to repeat doing it and it will support you to be in a healthy fit. Never get comfortable in a place in your life and make sure that you continue to have goals. Incorporate a broad range of friends so that you are not left behind in a stale way of being or thinking. Practice meditation which increases mindfulness. Remember age is just a number and it varies with each individual.

Wonderful. We are nearly done. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

Simone Biles