CARE

prevalence of obesity and chronic medical conditions for Colorado seniors is also some of the lowest in the nation.” e biggest challenges facing Colorado seniors between 2019 and 2021 include the high cost of housing, a lack of investment in community support services, and a shortage of home health care workers. e success is not shared evenly across the state. Older Coloradans living in southeastern counties boarding. Snowskate users may not be fastened to the board via bindings or clips, but the grip tape on the top side of the board helps to keep riders attached to the board while the design of Aloud Snowskates’ skis allows them to carve almost identically to how one would on a snowboard.

“A lot of people who are used to snowboarding can just jump right on and start making turns,” Parkinson said. “Eddie is the rst person to make a snowskate that is that much like a snowboard.”

“When I got with Mike at Folsom, my main goal was to make these ride like a snowboard,” Sixberry said. “I wanted these to excel technologically so that it is allowed on mountains. So that it is recognized.”

Although falls can still happen on a snowskate, not being clipped in allows riders to slide out on their back or run o the board instead of crashing their knees into the snow and ice like on a snowboard.

Sixberry said once people can get over the initial fears associated with experienced the greatest rates of social isolation, based on risk factors including poverty, marriage status and di culties involved with living independently.

Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical o cer of Employer and Individual for United Healthcare, said there has been an alarming increase in drug deaths across the U.S., mostly due to opioid overdoses. Colorado saw a 70% rise between 2019 and 2021.

“So that same troubling trend that we’re seeing across other populations in the United States is a ecting seniors too,” Randall explained. “A lot of people don’t think that seniors may be as a ected by substance use respond to a prayer request, jump into a conversation, or ask a meaningful question during a podcast or webinar. a snowskate, they often nd joy with experiencing their favorite mountain all over again.

Jill was a di erence maker.

“It makes it really exciting when you are on the blues and greens again learning,” Sixberry said. “It is reissuing the challenge.”

Over the past few years, Aloud Snowskates has started to make its presence known in Summit County, with products being seen on and o the mountain and sold at snowboard shops like Breckenridge’s Underground Snowboards.

Sixberry and Aloud have also branched out to Breckenridge Ski Area, hosting clinics for ski school instructors to learn how to safely ride a snowskate.

“We have done three clinics so far with the Breckenridge Ski School,” Sixberry said. “ at kind of started because every time we rode past the ski school the whole class is looking. Now they can tell their students that I have ridden them and they are pretty cool. All we are trying to do is put the pieces of the circle together and make disorders and opioid use disorders, but they are.”

Randall added nutrition is very important as we age, and the report’s data showed seniors saw signi cant improvements in food security during the pandemic. More people who were eligible signed up for SNAP bene ts, the program formerly known as food stamps, and other services designed to deliver food to a bigger circle.”

Ultimately, Sixberry’s dream is to make snowskates the next common mode of transportation down the mountain, with Aloud being the go-to brand. Snowskates are currently allowed at several ski resorts in and near Summit County, but are not allowed at every ski resort in the country. Sixberry hopes to change that in the next few years.

“We are reliving it, ” Sixberry said, comparing their work with snowskates to the historic e orts to legitimize snowboarding on the slopes. “And it is really exciting to me. We are just a bunch of homies trying to pull it o .” is Summit Daily News story via e Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member. homes. beautiful smile to never grace this earth again, but that will bless the halls of heaven for eternity. ose of us who knew her well, knew all sides of Jill as we had three plus years to share calls, Zoom calls, webinars, texts, and emails. Some of us got to see her and be with her since we graduated ZLC23. And there wasn’t any one of us who didn’t appreciate her e orts to worry more about us and how we were doing than how she was personally doing herself.

Aloud Snowskates has plans of growing its reach at the beginning of the 2023-24 winter season by hosting more clinics, team parties and other events.

“Food insecurity decreased 6%,” Randall reported, noting fewer seniors are worried about getting access to nutritious food, more seniors got home-delivered meals, and more seniors got assistance with meals. is Public News Story via e Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member.

As the news hit our ZLC23 class, we reached out to one another for comfort and understanding; it’s one of the things that happen when you become Ziglar certi ed and connect with your classmates, you graduate as di erence makers in the personal, professional, and spiritual lives of everyone you have the opportunity to meet. And Jill epitomized that mission and purpose, she changed us all. Even when she was going through life’s challenges herself, she was the rst one to

I write this column as a tribute to Jill, a true ZLC’er class of ‘23. I write this to remind us that we all have something to give to others regardless of how short or long our lives here on earth are. We can smile, be kind, show our passion, know our purpose, and simply care about the person sitting across from us in the moment, because that is who Jill was, a living example to us all.

Is there someone who you need to tell how awesome they are before they are gone? Did this tribute connect with you? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail. com, and when we can remember those who left their ngerprints of love and light on our lives, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.