Growing Bolder March April 2015

5 QUESTIONS WITH KENNY G • LIFE LESSONS FROM HERBIE HANCOCK

HOPE • INSPIRATION • POSSIBILITY

STUART SCOTT 1965-2015

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CONTENTS MARCH/APRIL 2015

FEATURE

REMEMBERING STUART SCOTT

DEPARTMENTS 5 | FROM THE EDITOR

14

6 | GROWING BOLDER WITH

12 | MOVE FORWARD. GIVE BACK. TM Through running, a father helps his son’s disability disappear. By Jackie Carlin

7 | THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH TM Meet a 77-year-old powerlifting dynamo. By Bill Shafer

22 | ROCK STARS OF AGING TM Introducing a new network for a special community. By Katy Widrick

8 | ROAD TO RECOVERY The crucial role you play in your recovery. By Robert Masson, M.D.

26 | BOLDER EXPERTS A guide to living long and dying short.

By Roger Landry, M.D.

10 | 5 QUESTIONS Kenny G blames it on the bossa nova.

By Jackie Carlin

27 | BEHIND THE SCENES Here’s what’s new and coming from the Growing Bolder team.

Photographer Saw Her Famous Friend Through a Unique Lens.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

BY TAMARA LACKEY

28 | SURVIVING & THRIVING TM A stranger’s bone marrow donation saves a single mom’s life.

By Marc Middleton 29 | BOLDER NUTRITION Enlist nutrition as an ally against cancer. By Tara Gidus 30 | THE TAKEAWAY Look to your passions to find your possibilities. By Herbie Hancock

ON THE COVER: Stuart Scott, photographed by his friend Tamara Lackey, who pays tribute to the sportscaster in this issue.

4 GROWING BOLDER

MARCH/APRIL 2015

FROM THE EDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marc Middleton MANAGING EDITOR Jackie Carlin ASSOCIATE EDITORS Bill Shafer, Katy Widrick CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tara Gidus, Tamara Lackey, Roger Landry, M.D. Robert Masson, M.D. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY Douglas Kirkland, Global Click Photography Tamara Lackey DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION Jason Morrow, Pat Narciso, Josh Doolittle, Mike Nanus

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All editorial content copyright 2015 by Bolder Broadcasting Inc. Growing Bolder is a registered trademark of Bolder Broadcasting Inc. Nothing may be reprinted in part or in whole without written permission from Bolder Broadcasting Inc. PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH

FLORIDA HOME MEDIA GROUP PUBLISHER Randy Noles ART DIRECTOR Jenna Carberg CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Harry Wessel Florida Home Media’s Family of Publications:

REFLECTIONS ON A ‘BOO-YAH!’ BUDDY

M

BY MARC MIDDLETON

y phone rang early one Sunday morning and before answering, I had a bad feeling. It was Gus Ramsey, a senior producer at ESPN and a longtime friend. He was crying. I knew immediately, even before he spoke, that Stuart Scott had passed away.

Stuart was a news reporter in Raleigh, N.C., when we hired him in 1990 as a sports reporter and fill-in anchor at WESH-TV in Orlando. Gus was a sports and news producer. Growing Bolder’s Wendy Chioji was the weekend news anchor.

We all became great friends and collaborators. We heard Stuart say “Boo-Yah!” and “As cool as the other side of the pillow” before anyone.

Like all those who worked with Stuart before and after, we learned to love and appreciate his creativity, fearlessness, work ethic, kindness and especially his silliness. Stuart liked to amuse himself, which was, and continued to be, one of the keys to his amazing success.

Stuart never tried to hide the fact that he had cancer. He embraced the role of inspirational cancer warrior. But he was very private about the specific details of what he was fighting, and how advanced it had become.

I had known for some time that Stuart’s seven-year battle was not going well. But I’m not sure anyone, other than his doctors, knew exactly how dire his situation was. Stuart refused to entertain even the suggestion that he wasn’t going to beat it.

My short call from Gus was heartbreaking and shocking, but not surprising — if those three descriptions can live in the same sentence describing the same event.

While all who knew him, including Gus, Wendy and myself, have reflected privately and publicly on our time with Stuart and his legacy to sports journalism, our cover story was written and photographed by Tamara Lackey, a renowned photographer and author and a close personal friend to Stuart.

Her unique and revealing perspective helps explain what made Stu tick — and why he meant so much to so many. 

WINTER 2015 | $3.99

407-647-0225 2700 Westhall Lane, Suite 128 Maitland, FL 32751 GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

Marc Middleton, Editor-in-Chief marcmiddleton@growingbolder.com GROWING BOLDER 5

GROWING BOLDER WITH

PAUL REISER

57

COMEDIAN

“I put stand-up comedy on the back burner after Mad About You got started.

It’s taken me longer to get back to it than I would have thought, but I’m having a blast. It’s been reaffirming because when I got started in the business, all I wanted to do was be a comedian. I was lucky a lot of other things worked out in my career. However, now that I’m back on stage, I see it’s what I’ve needed and what I’ve been missing — only I didn’t realize it all these years. We’re all lucky if we find the right vocation for our brains, and for me, it’s stand-up.”

Paul Reiser created and starred in the acclaimed NBC series Mad About You, which garnered him Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations. He currently stars in the FX series Married, and has appeared in film classics such as Diner, Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop II and Aliens.

He’s the author of Familyhood, Babyhood, and Couplehood, which sold more than 2 million copies.

DAWN WELLS

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ACTRESS

“I think our show [Gilligan’s Island] has stood the test of time because it’s timeless. For starters, without cars or fashion trends, the show has never been dated. Kids today think it’s happening for the first time. But, more importantly, our show was about seven misfits trying to get along, and that’s what the world is still about today. There are seven continents, and we’re all just trying to get along. We did all of that coping without any anger, bullying or animosity. I think that’s a healthy way of living that we all probably wish we could go back to again.”

Gilligan’s Island, which debuted on CBS in 1964, ran for only three seasons before being cancelled.

Thanks to syndication, however, the frothy sitcom about the S.S. Minnow’s ill-fated castaways has never been off the air. In her new book, What Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide for Life, Dawn Wells explains how we could all stand to think a bit more like her iconic TV character.

MICHIO KAKU

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SCIENTIST

“The hippocampus, which processes memories deep inside the brain, becomes corrupted and fails in people with Alzheimer’s. One day in the not-so-distant future, we may be able to upload memories into the hippocampus. Scientists recently discovered how to insert thoughts into mice, and this will eventually move to primates, then humans. This is something right out of the movie Total Recall. As we keep studying and mapping the brain, we also may be closer than ever to understanding mental illness.

Soon, we’ll not only know what it is, perhaps we’ll be able to cure many of the most ancient diseases that have afflicted humanity.”

Michio Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York and a pioneer in the fields of string theory and quantum physics. He’s also fascinated by the nature of our consciousness. That’s the topic of his No. 1 bestseller, The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance and Empower the Mind.

GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our entire Growing Bolder Radio conversations with Paul Reiser, Dawn Wells and Michio Kaku.

6 GROWING BOLDER

MARCH/APRIL 2015

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

TM

Willie Murphy is the world’s top female powerlifter in her age group. “You have the ability to be better than what you think you can be,” she says.

NEED A LIFT? Meet a 77-Year-Old Powerlifting Dynamo.

W

BY BILL SHAFER illie Murphy is not a typical 77-year-old grandmother. She lifts weights. And every time she does, she raises the bar a little higher as to what’s possible as we age.

Hardly a lifelong athlete, Willie, who lives in Rochester, N.Y., was a self-described couch potato. She finally convinced herself to change when she began worrying about her health.

“I got up and decided to start running,” she says. “Guess what? It felt really good.

But I needed to find a way to improve my times, so I decided to improve my strength.”

GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

Willie started lifting weights, five pounds at a time. She soon realized she enjoyed weights more than running.

It wasn’t long before she decided to dedicate herself to lifting. By the time she was 70, she was strong enough to do one-arm pull-ups and deadlifts of 225 pounds.

Willie entered weightlifting competitions and came away with the gold. Today, at the age of 77, she’s the top female powerlifter in the world in her age group and was named World Natural Powerlifting Federation Lifter of the Year.

Those who know Willie celebrate her.

Others simply don’t believe her. Tipping

the scales at 105 pounds, she’s not what many would consider a typical powerlifter.

She lifts for health, not size, and says her goals are strength, flexibility and confidence. She needed the confidence after so many people turned up their noses when she told them of her workout plans.

“They say it’s not womanly to be lifting weights,” she scoffs. “Well, ha, ha, ha! The laugh is on them, because women are doing all sorts of weight training, getting stronger, feeling better and doing more than ever.”

And they have no better example than Willie. “I just want everybody to believe in themselves and understand that exercise is important to keep the blood flowing,” she says. “Start very slow and know that you have the ability to become much better than what you think you can be.” 

GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine. com to listen to our conversation with Willie Murphy.

GROWING BOLDER 7

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Dr. Robert Masson says recovery from surgery is enhanced by the patient’s commitment and attitude.

IT’S UP TO YOU That’s the Most Empowering Message of All.

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BY ROBERT MASSON, M.D. hen we evaluate a patient at the Neurospine Institute, we look closely at everything that contributes to any functional disability. We try various therapies, exercise, pain management, holistic care, anti-inflammatories and more.

If these more conservative approaches fail to deliver the desired result, additional intervention in the form of surgery becomes a viable option.

Surgery, however, is never the end-all.

Properly performed, it can take you from a dead-end, a road to nowhere, to a road leading somewhere positive.

But it’s just the beginning of this new 8 GROWING BOLDER

road, not the ultimate destination. There’s a new journey that begins post-surgery, and that journey requires commitment to fitness, commitment to movement, commitment to nutrition and commitment to positive energy.

The more fully a patient understands and realizes the importance of these commitments, the more likely his or her surgery will be a success.

Today’s surgical techniques are better and less invasive than ever before, leading to the opportunity for a much quicker, less painful and more complete recovery.

Patients can not only regain the pain-free movement and mobility that they enjoyed years before, they can be better than ever.

But the ultimate result, the extent of recovery, is dependent upon the patient’s level of commitment before and after surgery.

This is a message that some patients don’t want to hear, because it involves personal responsibility. But I believe it’s the most empowering message of all, because to a large extent, we’re all in control of our health destiny.

It’s important to understand that surgery is never a magic bullet that miraculously restores a healthy, active lifestyle. It can provide the opportunity for extreme recovery, but it must be accompanied by positive lifestyle modification and personal commitment.

If surgery does become necessary, my job is to not only perform the least invasive surgery possible, but to help motivate the patient to embrace positive lifestyle change. 

GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine. com to watch more of Dr. Robert Masson’s Road to Recovery Minutes.

MARCH/APRIL 2015

Return to Work.

Return to Sport.

Return to Life.

NeuroSpine Institute is committed to using the highest traditional values and treatment goals, while maximizing each patient’s chance of the best possible outcome through state-of-the-art diagnostics, planning, prehabilitation, rehabilitation and technology.

ORLANDO Dr. Robert Masson & Dr. Mitchell Supler 2706 Rew Circle Suite 100 Orlando, FL 34761 P. 407-649-8585 | F. 407-649-0151

SANDESTIN / GULF BREEZE Dr. Mark Giovanini 1040 Gulf Breeze Pkwy Suite 209 Gulf Breeze, FL 32563 P. 850-934-7545 | F. 850-934-7972

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PARK CITY 1820 Sidewinder Drive Park City, Utah 84098 P. 407-588-6103

5 QUESTIONS

RHYTHM OF LIFE Blame it on the Bossa Nova.

BY JACKIE CARLIN

10 G R O W I N G B O L D E R

MARCH/APRIL 2015

KENNY G

is one of the biggest-selling instrumentalists of the modern era, with more than 75 million albums sold across the globe. The Grammy Award-winning saxaphonist has just released his 14th studio album, Brazilian Nights. In this interview with Growing Bolder, the Seattle native (born Kenneth Bruce Gorelick) talks about music, life, golf and even investing.

Kenny G’s 14th studio album has a distinctly Brazilian flair.

Your music is so beautiful and so soothing. In general, does your musical style reflect your life?

I think so. I think I’m a very easygoing guy.

Of course, you’d probably have to ask the people who are around me on a daily basis. I put a lot of effort and integrity into my music, and that’s the way I live my life.

Things that are important to me, I try to do well and I try to treat people well.

You’ve said many times over the years that you love the Brazilian musical style, the bossa nova. In fact, you feature the genre prominently on your new album, Brazilian Nights, covering some classic bossa nova tunes as well as contributing new pieces. What is it you love about the bossa nova?

I love the rhythm of the bossa nova. It soothes me, but it’s not just background music. The chord changes really interest me. I loved the way the late Stan Getz played it back in the ’60s. And Cannonball Adderly was another great sax player from that era. Of course, Paul Desmond, who wrote that very famous song “Take Five,” did some very nice versions of some bossa nova songs, too. I listened to those guys, got inspired and made my own CD. GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

Given your massive success as an adult, most of us would assume you were a child prodigy.

Isn’t it true, though, that you weren’t even selected for your high-school band? What lesson did you learn from that?

That’s true! I didn’t make my high-school band the first year I tried out, so I practiced more that year and when I came back the next year, in 11th grade, I was first chair.

It just goes to show you, if you get a door slammed in your face, that doesn’t mean it won’t open for you at some other point.

Is it true you were one of the early investors in Starbucks, before it went public? Are you a good trader? And what’s this we hear about you being the top musician golfer in the world?

That is true about Starbucks, and I don’t trade my Starbucks stock. I just hold onto it. I don’t know if I’m a good trader or not. I used to be. I had a run that went really well, but like anyone else who dabbles in the stock market, there are periods when things don’t go so well. It’s probably something I should leave to the experts, and that’s the advice I’d give anyone. As for golfing, I’m lucky enough that I get to hit golf balls with some incred-

ible golfers. Just recently, I was hanging out in Orlando with 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman. It definitely helps to talk to these guys and to see what they’re doing. I play as much as I can, and it’s exciting to be around the world’s best at anything.

You’re now in your mid-50s, and seem to be as engaged as ever in your art. What’s the takeaway? What can we learn about life from your experiences?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.

I’m incredibly grateful that so far, my body still works. I can walk. I can run. I can jump. I can do anything. That’s not going to last forever; everybody knows that. My kids are growing up and my youngest is about to go to college. My next phase is going to mean I’ll have more free time, so I think I’m going to spend it enjoying the world. I want to see things and experience new things while everything still works.  Editor’s Note: Since our interview, Kenny revealed that he helped inspire Starbucks’ wildly popular Frappucino drinks by suggesting the coffee chain create a sweet blended beverage when it was still just selling coffee — a claim Starbucks confirms!

GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our Growing Bolder Radio conversation with Kenny G and to find out what he thinks about China’s obsessive love affair with his hit song, “Going Home.”

G R O W I N G B O L D E R 11

MOVE FORWARD. GIVE BACK.

TM

Freebird!

Through Running, Father Helps Son’s Disability Disappear.

BY JACKIE CARLIN

D

PHOTO: GLOBAL CLICK PHOTOGRAPHY (GLOBALCLICKPHOTOGRAPHY.COM)

ick Hoyt is more than a father; he’s become a symbol of parental devotion, strength, perseverance, self-sacrifice and the power of love.

Over the last 38 years, the father-son duo of Dick and Rick Hoyt, also known as Team Hoyt, has competed in more than 1,100 races and Ironman triathlons. They’ve done it in spite of the fact — or perhaps because of the fact — that Rick was diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly after birth and can’t talk, walk or use his arms or legs.

During all the races, Team Hoyt was powered by love and the physical strength of Dick, now 74. After completing the 2014 Boston Marathon, the duo officially retired from competing in marathons and triathlons.

“My body is starting to tell me to slow down,” says Dick. “Someone else will still push Rick in the Boston Marathon each year.”

Dick adds that Team Hoyt will continue to compete in smaller races, including Olympic-distance triathlons, 10-mile races and perhaps half marathons.

Team Hoyt ran its first race in 1977, when Rick asked his father, via a computer program, if they could participate to support a classmate who’d recently become paralyzed.

At the time, Dick wasn’t a runner. But he agreed and they completed the five-mile race.

After the race, Rick told his dad that “when we’re running, it feels like my disability disappears.” To Dick, that was an incredibly powerful statement.

“Think about it,” Dick says. “Someone is in a wheelchair, can’t talk or use their The father-and-son team of Dick and Rick Hoyt, also know as Team Hoyt, has become a familiar and inspirational sight at road races around the country.

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PHOTO: TEAMHOYT.COM

“It’s just wonderful what Rick has done for his own life and how he’s affected the whole world.” arms or legs, and now they’re out there running and their disability disappears?”

According to his dad, Rick began calling himself “freebird” because, during races, he was free and competing with everyone else.

It wasn’t the first time Dick had helped free his son from the bonds of his disability.

It started with Rick’s doctors, who had urged the Hoyts to institutionalize their son.

“They told us, ‘He’s going to be nothing but a vegetable for the rest of his life,’” re­ calls Dick.

Today, though, Rick is an accomplished 52-year-old. “We still haven’t figured out what kind of vegetable he is,” adds Dick with a laugh.

When Rick was a child, the Hoyts tried to mainstream him into his local public school. But administrators didn’t believe he could learn, and said no.

So the family set out to prove them wrong, eventually raising $5,000 so engiGROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

neers at Tufts University in Boston could create a communication device for Rick.

Called the Tufts Interactive Communicator, or TIC for short, the device gave Rick a voice for the first time in his life.

“Everyone was betting on what Rick’s first words would be,” says Dick. “I was convinced it was going to be ‘Hi, Dad,’ and his mom thought it’d be ‘Hi, Mom.’” They were both wrong. At the time, the Boston Bruins were going for the Stanley Cup. So Rick’s first words were, “Go Bruins.” At that moment, Dick recalls, “everyone understood that [Rick] understood everything that was going on.”

Once Rick could communicate, school officials realized he was, in fact, capable of learning. It was the start he needed to keep growing and thriving. He went on to graduate from public high school and Boston University.

Today, Rick lives on his own and has

a consulting business. He does speaking engagements — both on his own and in tandem with his dad.

For nearly 30 years, Rick has also worked closely with Children’s Hospital Boston, including John Costello, director of the hospital’s Augmentative Communication Program, to help children across the world get access to their own communication devices.

“It’s just wonderful what Rick has done for his own life and how he’s affected the whole world,” Dick says. “Our message is: Yes, you can. There isn’t anything you can’t do, as long as you make up your mind to do it.” 

GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine. com to listen to our Growing Bolder Radio conversation with Dick Hoyt and to learn more about Team Hoyt.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R 13

“Stuart and I had been talking for some time over a drink before heading out to dinner to meet up with friends. As we walked out to get a cab, I stopped him in front of this cool-looking background to get his portrait. I remember how comfortable he was with himself.

How at ease he was just being himself, and how much that came through in this portrait. I love that he loved this photograph.�

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MARCH/APRIL 2015

REMEMBERING

STUART

SCOTT Photographer Saw Her Famous Friend Through a Unique Lens.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAMARA LACKEY

GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

G R O W I N G B O L D E R 15

S

tuart Scott. Wow, just typing that name. I miss him.

In his not-nearly-long-enough life, he’s been a largerthan-life individual and father and brother and son and companion — and he’s been an exceptionally dear friend to me and to many others.

The fact that he’s actually gone? That’s really, really difficult to try to process.

Much of the world knows who Stuart was: genuinely inspirational, incredibly smart, talented, charismatic and, well, super cool. He worked hard, and his effort paid off on a giant world stage.

But there are also many things Stuart wasn’t.

He wasn’t afraid to be himself.

Stuart was so very much himself that you couldn’t help but be drawn to him.

I couldn’t help but be drawn to him. He spoke directly to you — no artifice, no 86 layers of protection.

If you asked him a direct question, he gave you a direct answer. If something bugged him, it wasn’t a secret. If he was crazy about something — well, that wasn’t a secret, either.

I’ve always found that trait to be extraordinarily refreshing. And it’s more rare than I would have ever imagined to meet someone who consciously lives, openly, in such a very alive way.

In my experience, sometimes all the edges, boundaries and strategies of human interaction can be downright exhausting.

Becoming friends with Stuart was the op16 G R O W I N G B O L D E R

posite of that: It was invigorating.

And fun. And when it wasn’t fun, it was real. It made you feel like you’d connected — truly connected — with a soul who’d matter to you for a lifetime.

He wasn’t daunted by criticism.

Over time, Stuart was not only unfazed by criticism, he actually got a kick out of it. He knew who he cared to listen to — and all the rest? Just noise.

No other person I’ve ever met has taught me more about how to deal with random hate. I didn’t just take his advice, I studied it. I told him that I channeled him when I needed to.

He owned ugly feedback by treating it for what it was. Sometimes, he even found it entertaining. I was in awe of how his unflappability allowed him to simply create,

without worrying about how whatever he created might be perceived.

He wasn’t afraid to love.

(And to love big.)

There wasn’t a person who knew Stuart who didn’t also know what his daughters meant to him. Heck, millions of people who didn’t know him knew what his daughters meant to him.

In a word? They were everything. His heartbeat, he’d say.

I hate that these two lost their father. I love that they knew how much he loved them. That we all did.

It was actually hard to ask Stuart a question about anything important without the answer somehow incorporating his love for Taelor and Sydni. He was very clear on his main priority: those two girls.

MARCH/APRIL 2015

“This candid photograph from a night out shows Stuart’s laughter, his movement, his energy, his fight, his rightthereness. If there seem to be so many words for Stuart Scott, it’s because there was so much to Stuart Scott.”

GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

G R O W I N G B O L D E R 17

“This was just a casual shot taken at our house.

Stuart and his family were all over, and the girls were playing Wii with our kids. There was much silliness, and I casually scootched these three closer together. Later, Stuart’s girlfriend, Kristin, surprised him with a large canvas of this image for Christmas.”

But he was also so open and enormously loving with his friends. It wasn’t difficult for him to say “I love you.” And when he said it to you, you knew he meant it.

He once told me I was “in his boat.”

When you’re in his boat, he said, you’re in it forever. What that meant was, if there was catastrophe, if the floodwaters rose, you’d have room in his boat. You’d know he’s got your back.

18 G R O W I N G B O L D E R

But here’s what I also learned about Stuart after meeting his family — including his siblings, Susan, Stephen and Synthia — and talking to his girlfriend, Kristin, who was incredibly there for him through the latter part of his illness, and for whom he felt so much love and gratitude.

I learned this: Stuart Scott had built a pretty large boat. I never questioned how much Stuart cared. He really cared about a

lot of people very, very much.

He wasn’t shy about expression.

Stuart was a writer. He researched and wrote and wrote and wrote for so many things at ESPN. For SportsCenter, of course, but also for so many other programs and spots and magazines and yes, even Twitter. He loved the medium and its mini-conversations.

He wrote spoken-word slow jams that MARCH/APRIL 2015

he’d perform with such polish. I remember one he performed for Michael Jordan while my husband and I nervously watched, hoping he’d get through it all because the delivery mattered.

And he did. Of course he did. Flawlessly.

In this day and age, when you’re friends with someone who lives far away, much of your casual conversation is through texts.

I loved Stuart’s texts because they reflectGROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

ed his voice perfectly — so much life and enthusiasm and attitude in his words, with liberal use of exclamation points!!! and ALL CAPS and passion, passion, passion.

When his sister Susan, who I’m fortunate to say has also become a dear friend over time (don’t know what’s in that Scott water), called to tell me that Stuart had died, I felt complete and utter shock.

That may seem a bit odd, given the state

of his health, given our conversations and given how plainly rough it had all become.

Of course he was very ill. Of course this was always a possibility, increasingly so over the last few months.

But when every fiber of your being doesn’t want a piece of news to be true, it doesn’t make sense when you first hear it.

It’s a shock. And it feels incredibly wrong.

Terribly unfair. Or, as my 9-year-old daughG R O W I N G B O L D E R 19

“I have my friend Sally Sargood to thank for taking this photograph. It’s just a shot during a fun dinner in New York with friends and lots of laughter. I had brought my friends, he had brought his, and we all met everyone and just — were together. There wasn’t enough of that.”

ter said, after I told her about Stuart, “Oh, Mom, but that’s not fair one bit.”

No. No, it’s not.

Of all the conversations I had with Stuart, probably my all-time favorite was this past summer. I was returning home from New York and had gotten my first taste of what real online troll hate felt like. All anonymous, of course.

I sat down in a plastic airport chair, opened Twitter and saw one of Stuart’s posts. He often wrote lovely things about people he cared for, and had many times directed very kind words my way.

So I texted him, and here’s that exchange, already stored away to be saved forever: Me: Hey there — leaving NYC & just saw your tweet. Had my first, full-on tear-apart, major hatefest towards me on social media.

What a weird thing. If you feel like you’re being channeled, you are.

Stuart: Awww…you’re incredibly amazing…I miss you… as for twitter hate, it’s funny, let it be funny, let it remain funny. It speaks everything about the people spewing it 20 G R O W I N G B O L D E R

and NOTHING about you.

This was lovely, and very Stuart, so I did appreciate it. But I also still felt pretty sad, and not really as above it all as I was trying to be. I knew I’d get there, but I just didn’t feel it at the moment, so I simply wrote back: Me: I hear you : ) And then I put my phone away and slumped down a bit farther in my seat. About a minute later, my phone buzzed again: Stuart: At the end of all that stuff I said in the previous text … all that “real good mature advice” stuff … at the end of the day, bottom line, f*** dem punk a** bi***** & ***wipes!!!!!

Except, of course, he censored nothing.

And that was Stuart. Right there. His follow-up message back to me, that was him.

He was real. He was good. He was mature — and he had your back with some seriously silly swagger.

And I loved that about him. I loved his

grit and his laugh and his caring and his attitude and his energy and his heart.

I haven’t really stopped actively hurting since Susan called me. I wince thinking of her having to make those calls. I’m glad Stuart is out of pain, of course. And yet, here we all are, still loving him.

There are tears around the world for the loss of this man. Makes sense, though. A man who, in his words, beat cancer by how he lived, why he lived, and the manner in which he lived, will have that kind of effect on people.

I will truly miss you for the rest of my life, Stuart.

Thank you, for you.  Editor’s Note:Tamara Lackey is a renowned professional photographer, speaker, author and program host. She was also a close friend of ESPN sports anchor Stuart Scott. Lackey’s personal reflections on Stuart and the time they spent together are both a touching tribute to and a revealing look at a man who entertained, informed and inspired millions of fans. For more about Lackey and her work visit TamaraLackey.com MARCH/APRIL 2015

“I loved his grit and his laugh and his caring and his attitude and his energy and his heart.”

GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

G R O W I N G B O L D E R 21

ROCK STARS OF AGING

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Growing Bolder’s Bill Shafer talks to Mayflower resident Ken Hubble just before shooting a segment for the community’s in-house TV network.

MAYFLOWER TV A New Network for a Special Community.

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BY KATY WIDRICK he Mayflower Retirement Community in Winter Park, Fla., is one of the nation’s top continuing-care retirement destinations.

It embraces the secrets to active longevity that we revealed in our book, Rock Stars of AgingTM. After conducting dozens of interviews with active centenarians, we outlined the common lifestyle choices that lead to healthy aging, including mental and physical stimulation, social interaction, passion for hobbies, high-quality nutrition, lifelong learning and many more.

The Mayflower is filled with Rock Stars of AgingTM, and has a long waiting list to get in because it aggressively looks for new and exciting ways to enhance the quality 22 G R O W I N G B O L D E R

of life for its residents That’s what the recently launched Mayflower Television Network, or MTN, is all about.

MTN, powered by Growing Bolder, is the nation’s first custom-branded channel delivered directly to residents of a retirement community. The network reports on activities at the Mayflower and features its residents.

Mayflower-related content is supplemented by content from Growing Bolder’s Emmy Award-winning library, including complete episodes of the nationally syndicated Growing Bolder TV show, lifelonglearning features, Road to Recovery Minutes and healthy-living tips.

Episodes of Surviving & Thriving, another TV show produced by Bolder Broad-

casting, are also part of the MTN package.

“Mayflower Television Network is a highdefinition, in-house channel available on residents’ TVs,” says Bolder Broadcasting CEO Marc Middleton. “MTN programming is not only entertaining and uplifting, it inspires viewers to stay active, involved in the community and to lead healthy lifestyles.”

MTN Executive Producer Jackie Carlin says the channel is being rolled out with a two-hour block of content that’s rerun four times a day. “We’ll continue expanding that content block until we take over the entire broadcasting day,” adds Carlin.

She notes that the channel can be remotely updated any time with new content from the Mayflower, the Growing Bolder library, educational programming and other offerings appropriate for the audience.

“We couldn’t be more excited about the Mayflower Television Network and its potential to not only entertain but to also enhance the lives of our residents,” says Jana Ricci, director of marketing at the Mayflower and MTN producer. “They have been, and continue to be, a vital and important part of the Winter Park community.”

MTN, Ricci adds, “gives us a powerful way to not only inspire, educate and entertain our residents, but to communicate with them on a daily basis.”

For more information about the Mayflower Television Network, powered by Growing Bolder, contact Jackie Carlin at jackie@BolderMediaGroup.com. 

GB EXTRA You can read Rock Stars of Aging and learn the 50 ways to live to 100 by visiting RockStar.GrowingBolder.com

MARCH/APRIL 2015

GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

G R O W I N G B O L D E R 23

DESIGN YOUR DREAM HOME!

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or years, you’ve chosen your homes based on needs, such as the necessity to think about school districts, bedrooms for the kids or proximity to the office. Now is the time to put what you want first.

Haven’t you always wanted a home designed specifically for your unique lifestyle and interests?

At Del Webb Orlando, that option is not only available, it’s more affordable than you ever imagined.

The active-adult lifestyle community near the heart of all the action in Central Florida is unveiling a new line of new homes starting in the $170s. For the last few years, Del Webb’s new home designs have been consumer tested through focus groups, and the feedback has generated exciting new options for homebuyers.

The Inspired Design Collection includes six flexible designs to allow for the ultimate flexibility of your new home.

Maybe you want a traditional layout with extra bedrooms for guests and grandkids. Or maybe you want to use that space for hobby rooms, with dedicated areas for crafting, sewing, tinkering or even a “man cave.”

Guess what? You can have it all!

With features such as optional lofts with extra bedrooms and bathrooms, covered lanais with optional sunrooms and your pick of homesites, this is the chance to create the home you’ve always dreamed about.

“Our customers told us they’ve made sacrifices earlier in their lives when it came to choosing a home,” says Sean Strickler, vice president of sales for Del Webb. “They’re

finally at a point when they can put their desires at the top of their ‘must-have’ list. We want to help people build their dream home. It should be everything they’ve ever wanted in a home. And at Del Webb Orlando, we can make that happen.”

The new home designs include smart features such as raised dishwashers so you don’t have to bend down to load and unload dishes, microwaves lowered to eye level to help with mobility, and fixed stairs to attic storage to provide simple access to everything you need.

“We also know that where you live is just as important as the home you live in,” Strickler says. “That’s what makes Del Webb communities so unique. From social clubs and planned events by our fulltime lifestyle director, to a state-of-the-art fitness center inside the 30,800-square-foot clubhouse, Del Webb Orlando offers a lifestyle second to none.”

Stop dreaming and start planning today! Call 866-6713330 or visit delwebb.com/dwo to make today the first day of your new life.

Del Webb Orlando offers an unparalleled active-adult lifestyle community designed for those who plan to keep on Growing Bolder, year after year. Plan your visit around one of Del Webb’s upcoming community events, participate in a club or simply get to know some of the neighbors.

Call 866-671-3330 or visit delwebb.com/dwo to schedule a visit today.

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MARCH/APRIL 2015

BOLDER EXPERTS

In his new book, Dr. Roger Landry says lifestyle is more important than genetics in living a long, healthy life.

ACTIVE AGING A Guide to Living Long and Dying Short.

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BY ROGER LANDRY, M.D. f you want to live a long, healthy and active life, you’ve got to make three major changes right now. Ready? They are lifestyle, lifestyle, lifestyle! And that’s good news, because we used to believe longevity was mostly a function of genetics. Now, however, research shows that as much as 70 percent of how we age is determined by the choices we make every day.

Yes, genetics does play a part. But the good news is that it’s not nearly as big a part as we thought.

And even better news is the type of lifestyle you need to lead. It’s actually pretty simple: Keep moving, keep learning, stay socially connected and have a purpose.

26 G R O W I N G B O L D E R

These are all things you can do, things you’ll enjoy and things that will change your life. Remember, the choices you make today can have a profound effect on you tomorrow and beyond.

That brings us to another important concept: “Live long and die short.” It’s something we should all strive for.

Not long ago, once you hit 50, your life would begin a slow, steady decline. But “living long” means continuing to have adventures, continuing to be involved, continuing to be relevant and continuing to make a difference. People are staying active — and living longer — than ever before.

Just as important is “dying short,” or

what the experts call “compressed morbidity.” For too many, the end of life is a long, slow, agonizing journey through chronic diseases and disabilities that can slowly strip you of your spirit and your resources.

But this doesn’t have to occur. You can increase the number of great days in your life and, at the same time, greatly diminish the number of bad days.

That’s what I mean by dying short. And the way you achieve that? I’ll say it again: Lifestyle, lifestyle, lifestyle.

Stay active, curious and involved and your life will change in many positive ways.

And it will set you on the path toward living long and dying short.  Dr. Roger Landry is a preventive medicine physician and author of the award-winning book, Live Long, Die Short: A Guide to Authentic Health and Successful Aging, and a Growing Bolder contributor. Trained at Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard University School of Public Health, he specializes in creating environments that empower older adults to maximize their potential.

MARCH/APRIL 2015

BEHIND THE SCENES

KILI CONQUERS HOUSTON Conquering Kilimanjaro, the first film from Bolder Docs, recently had its Houston, Texas, premiere. The evening was hosted by climbers Stephen and Bree Sandlin, whose powerful story is featured in the film. The event, held at the Alamo Drafthouse, was a fundraiser for the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Growing Bolder’s Marc Middleton and Michael Nanus, along with expedition leader Chris Warner, attended the event and addressed the crowd. Bree was one of four cancer survivors to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, celebrating her one-year anniversary of being cancer-free. You can learn more about their story and the film, including updates on future screenings, at ConqueringKilimanjaro.com.

ALEX ROTAS, COVER GIRL We recently had the pleasure of hanging out with photographer Alex Rotas, whose work will be featured in the next issue of Growing Bolder Magazine. Alex, who didn’t take up photography until after retiring, is now one of the top masters sports photographers in the world. She was visiting from her home in Bristol, England, and we just had to take her to meet Jumpin’ Joe Johnston, the 70-year-old world pole-vaulting phenom. The two hit it off like old schoolmates! Joe had a blast, Alex snapped some great photos, and we shot a video feature and conducted an interview for our next cover story. Talk about a win, win, win.

TEAM GB ELITE IS GROWING We’re thrilled to announce that two talented and interesting new writers have joined the ranks of our Team GB Elite bloggers. Their deceptively simple names are John and Mary. Mary T. Wagner is a former print journalist who, at age 40, decided to attend law school and become a criminal prosecutor. But she didn’t give up writing. The Wisconsin-based mother of four is an award-winning essayist and novelist. On her GB blog, Mary writes about everything from her divorce bonfire to her new passion — learning to dance. Longtime GrowingBolder. com readers will remember John, who uses only his first name, from a series of razor-sharp posts on the site. The man behind Late Night Musings (the title of his personal blog and a book of his essays), brings a unique blend of humor and thoughtfulness to Team GB Elite.

Check out Mary and John, as well as our other bloggers at elite.growingbolder.com.

GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

G R O W I N G B O L D E R 27

SURVIVING & THRIVING

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Crystal Osha believes that Jacob Hess (above), her bone marrow donor, lives on through her. Hess was killed in Afghanistan.

GIFT OF LIFE

Stranger’s Donation Saves Single Mom’s Life.

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BY MARC MIDDLETON rystal Osha, a 30-year-old single mom, suddenly began to feel weak. “I just became very tired, didn’t feel well and was attributing that to being a busy mom,” she recalls. “Then, one night I went in to take a shower and I passed out.”

Family members called 911, and within 24 hours Crystal learned that she wasn’t suffering from exhaustion — she had cancer.

The diagnosis was acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

She began treatment immediately, and after an unsuccessful round of chemotherapy, it was time for Plan B: a bone marrow transplant.

When neither her brother nor sister turned out to be a match, doctors at Florida Hospital placed her on the National Bone Marrow Registry to find an alternative. But success was far from a given.

“I was very, very sick at this point,” Crystal recalls. “My days were very numbered and everybody knew it.”

With time running out, Crystal received 28 G R O W I N G B O L D E R

news that a perfect match existed — a 21-year-old male from the other side of the country.

“Within 24 hours of his donation, they were helicoptering his bone marrow into the hospital,” says Crystal. “We saw the helicopter land, and within two hours it was upstairs in my room and they were starting the procedure. In a way, [the donor] was there. It was a miracle.”

After her transplant, Crystal grew stronger and stronger and was eventually declared cancer-free. She begged doctors to let her get in touch with the man she credited with saving her life. She emailed him, and within 24 hours he wrote back.

Crystal learned her perfect match was Jacob Hess, a recently married soldier from Washington. Four months after they began emailing, Jacob wrote Crystal with news that his wife was being deployed to Afghanistan, and that he was going to join her.

“Jacob volunteered to deploy with his wife because he wouldn’t send her anywhere that he wasn’t willing to go him-

self,” Crystal says. “After he left, I didn’t hear back from him.”

Eventually, she received a call from her doctor’s office asking her to come in. There she was told the tragic news: Jacob had been killed in Afghanistan.

“When he died, a part of me died with him,” Crystal; says. “I’ve been told that I’m 99 percent Jacob’s bone marrow, and I believe that he still lives in me, and that I can carry on his hope and dream to help other people.”

Crystal was so moved by Jacob’s gift of life, and by the care she received at Florida Hospital, that she’s now dedicating her life to helping others like her.

“I’m definitely going to be a nurse,” she says. “Now that I’ve been through cancer, I want to be there for those cancer patients.

I want them to know that I’ve been there, and it’s possible.”

And to honor the gift that’s been given to her, Crystal encourages everyone to become a bone marrow donor: “Go out and just be there for someone else. There are people still waiting for that perfect match, so take that step and become a donor.” 

GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine. com to watch our video story on Crystal and to see the emotional, surprise meeting she had with Jacob’s mother.

MARCH/APRIL 2015

BOLDER NUTRITION

Stephen and Tara Gidus decided on a combination of traditional medicine and alternative therapy when Stephen was diagnosed with cancer.

FOOD FIGHT

Enlist Nutrition as an Ally Against Cancer.

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BY TARA GIDUS ou never think it’s going to happen to you or someone you love.

But sure enough, my beloved husband Stephen was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and told he had less than a year to live.

With two boys aged 2 and 4, he wasn’t going to accept that kind of news — and he put up quite a fight before he finally died in 2012.

As a dietitian, I firmly believe in the power of food to assist in prevention of disease.

I’m an all-natural kind of gal as much as possible.

But when it came to facing an uphill battle against an advanced cancer, we chose a combination of traditional medicine and some alternative therapy. Part of the therapy included some fairly drastic nutritional changes.

When battling cancer, one of the most critical considerations is keeping your body strong to withstand both the treatment and the assault of the disease.

By eating well, you can recover and heal faster from surgeries and the side effects GROWINGBOLDERMAGAZINE.COM

of chemo and radiation. Infection is a big concern, and the digestive tract plays a large role in immunity for the body.

When you’re tired or having nausea and vomiting, intake of calories and nutrients is crucial. Protein-rich foods contain essential amino acids that help heal tissues and assist in fighting infection.

Fruits and vegetables contain those essential nutrients, and are loaded in phytonutrients to help protect the cells of the body.

If you or someone you love is facing a cancer diagnosis, consider this:  Start juicing. Juices from fresh fruits and vegetables are an excellent way to boost antioxidant intake, and you can find a good quality juicer for around $100.  Learn about the side effects of treatment. That way, you’ll know what to expect and can better prepare for it.  Cook in advance. You’ll have meals in the fridge or freezer ready to pop into the oven or microwave.  Ask for help. Your loved ones want to know how they can make your life eas-

ier. Accepting meals is a wonderful way to allow them to do so while alleviating the stress of cooking.  Avoid simple sugars. Cancer feeds on added sugars. Fruit is good, but steer away from candy and desserts.  Limit animal protein. Choose plantbased proteins, such as beans, nuts and seeds, as much as possible.

Nutritious food is one of the many tools in the fight against cancer. For more information, you can also check out the American Cancer Society at cancer.org. 

Tara Gidus is the co-author of Flat Belly Cooking for Dummies and host of the national TV show, Emotional Mojo. She’s team dietitian for the NBA’s Orlando Magic and official nutritionist for runDisney. You can learn more by visiting Tara’s website dietdiva.com.

G R O W I N G B O L D E R 29

THE TAKEAWAY

HERBIE HANCOCK ow many songs do you know? Hundreds? Thousands?

Maybe even more? One of the many challenges you face when it comes to creating music is, despite all those songs, there are only a few notes.

Look at an octave on a piano. Eight white keys and five black keys. That’s it. Yet, there are infinite possibilities. I’ve learned that the same holds true with life. The possibilities are infinite. It’s why I chose Possibilities as the title of my memoir.

No matter who we are, possibilities are all around us. Some we achieve, some we reach for and miss, and some we ignore altogether. My life has been all about being aware of all the possibilities. They present us with a set of choices, and the decisions we make about those choices determine the direction of our lives.

Where will you find your possibilities? Just look to your passions. Ask yourself this: What is it that lights you up, turns you on and brings you to life? There are a million different answers. For me, it’s always been music.

Music ignites my life. Especially when I have the courage to totally give in to it. It’s hard to do, because we’re all hesitant to take risks. Nobody wants to fail, yet it takes developing a fearlessness that allows us to soar.

I was lucky. My boss forced me to do it. When I joined Miles Davis’ group, he implored all of his musicians to think outside the box. He demanded it. He told us we were being paid to take chances and explore new territories.

This changed my life and set me on a course for my future.

How blessed is that? That encouragement meant everything. It led me to some very satisfying personal successes.

But surprisingly, it probably cost me some success, too. I ended up getting a lot of flack for being too much of a moving target. I was said to be too unpredictable, and that the record-buying audience wasn’t sure what to expect of me.

I understood this. But when people try to steer you away from where you want to go, there’s one very important thing to remember: When you wake up in the morning, the face you have to look at in the mirror will always be your own. As long as you’re true to yourself, as long as you challenge yourself, as long as you trust yourself, that’s what’s truly important — and that’s what leads to personal satisfaction.

Now, here I am at a very interesting point in my life. I’m in my mid-70s. The time has gone by in a flash. I must say I feel very much alive and encouraged by life. I’m blessed by the kinds of people who surround me, but none more important than my wife, who has been my rock throughout our 47 years of marriage.

So all that leads to my Takeaway. Your life is defined by the possibilities around you — and what you do about them. It is never too late to make decisions based on your possibilities.

Believe me, I’ve had my share of pain and suffering. I’ve had to battle demons that took me to places I wasn’t sure I could return from. So my not-so-hidden message is, never give up. You can win. You can live your life to the fullest.

Just look for the possibilities. 

Herbie Hancock is a legendary musician who has been Growing Bolder throughout an incredible career spanning seven decades. A true innovator, Hancock has had an enormous influence on acoustic and electric jazz, R&B and hip-hop with his fearless exploration of all musical genres.

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GB EXTRA Visit GrowingBolderMagazine.com to listen to our complete interview with Herbie Hancock and to find out how his love of music helped draw him to Buddhism more than 40 years ago.

MARCH/APRIL 2015

PHOTO: DOUGLAS KIRKLAND

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Look to Your Passions to Find Your Possibilities.