Thrive

thrive

Redefining what life’s “thirdact” looks like

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Age-defying athletes sharetheir secrets

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Thriving in retirement

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retirees areredefining what life’s “thirdact” lookslike

Thegift of longevitypresents anew opportunity fortravel, pursuing passions,spendingtimewith family, andchangingone’s relationshiptowork. Thenew

BY CHRISTINE LAVOSKY

The stereotypical vision of the 55+ community livingout their golden years (andweuse this termtongue-in-cheek)bylacing up on thetennis court every day or movingsouth to asun-soaked retirementvillageislargely athingofthe past. As aresult of steady life expectancy elongation since 1950 (withthe caveat of aslight downturn duringthe pandemic), thisgeneration’s retirementismuch more dynamic andenriching —it’s highly personalized to each retiree’s unique interests,hobbies, goals, andpassions.

When asked “what does retirement mean to you?” participants in asurvey most often cited thewords “freedom,”

“enjoyment,”and “stress-free” as the sentiments that best characterize retirementtothem. Conductedbythe nonprofit Transamerica Center forRetirement Studies, thesurveywas targeted, in part,tobaby boomers —the generation of people currently in retirementor approachingit.

Travelingmoreisthe most common change people wanttomakeintheir post-retirementlives, with 67 percent of workers citing it as theirretirement dream. Formany retirees, experiencing an entirely differentculture,way of life, cuisine, customs, andevenlearningor practicing aforeignlanguagethrough immersionisthe freedom they’ve been searching for

Forothers, (57 percentofworkers) pursuing hobbies is their retirement dream. Afteryears of other responsibilities, likeworkorraising afamily, taking afront seat,retirementoffers awindow of timetodowhatone is genuinely called to everyday.Whether it’s finishingthat novel, learninganinstrument,ortaking up painting, fly-fishing, ballroom dancing, or any otherfulfillingactivity,the focus can nowbeonwhatbringstrue enjoymentinlife

Retirementcan also mean switching from full-time to part-time employment, workingina differentcapacity (like a highschoolteacherbecominga tutor), branchingout into an encorecareer based on personal passion(notresponsi-

bility),orevenstartinga business. Those whocan’timaginetheir lives without thestructure of atraditionaljob facepotentialretirement“boredom,” however, reframingone’s outlookon employmentasa stress-free outlet helps ease thetransition.

Workinginretirementbecause you wanttoinsteadof need to is agreat way to form newassociationstoone’s relationship with work andalleviatethe potential feelingofa lack of fulfillment after leavingone’s full-time job.Work canalso be redefined outsideofthe traditional idea of paid work:One in four workers dream of devoting their retirement years to philanthropic causes they feel driven to support, accordingtothe TransamericaCenter survey

Today,retirementismuch more of a phased transitionintoalifewell-lived rather than a“pedal to themetal” work mentalityfollowedbya full stop.Now more than ever,people can letuponthe gas in their own ways, creatingcustomized transitionsthatleadintoinspiring andcompelling versionsofretirement. Delveintothis specialsection filled with differentstories of individuals from the 55+ community whohaveseized the opportunity for adventure,creativefulfillment,and exploration of their passions duringretirement.

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Age-defyingathletes sharetheir secrets

Threesports. Threeathletes with legendarylongevity.Threelife lessons.

BY ERICREED (Provided by Tufts Health Plan)

For many people,age beginstoslowthings down. They go for fewer runs climbfewer mountains, andeventually findthemselves watchinggreat triumphs more often than celebratingthem. This process can feel inevitable andultimately it is

But somepeople push back. They runmarathonsat61and swim the English Channelat60. They fight for atitle afterturning40. They buildgood habits that don’t endwhentheyturn30and see agingasa chance to pusha littleharder andfind out howlongtheycan stay in thegame.

Joan Benoit Samuelson

1984: First women’sOlympicmarathon gold medalist World-recording-setting marathon runner

Benoit Samuelson set aBoston Marathon women’s course recordand an American women’s marathon recordin1979, at age21, when shefinished therace with atimeof2:35:15

In 2019, 40 years later,she ran theBoston Marathon again. Herrace time that year? 3:05:18 —only about 30 minutes off from herfirst runofthe course.

Samuelson credits herdailylifestyle withmuch of herlong-term success.

“My physical health,” Samuelson says, “benefits from everythingIdo.”She doesn’t just exercise when training.Samuelson stays healthy in theway shespends time with friends andfamily, takingadvantageofthe woods andlakes around herhome. Shestays healthy throughher diet,growingfresh vegetablesinher garden whenever possible

Runningand fitness arenot breaksfromSamuelson’sdaily routine. They are herroutine.

“I runthe way Ifeel on that day,” shesays. “My best speedworkhappens when Ipaintmyself into acornerwith time— when all of asudden, Irealize Ihavetobe somewhereordosomething andIlookatmywatch andIsay,‘Oh, I’ve gottoget out thedoor now. And I’vegot to runfast.’ And then of course Ialways trytosqueeze an extra mileintoit.”

Patricia Gallant-Charette 2017:Oldestwoman to swim theEnglishChannel 2018: Oldestwoman to complete the Open Water Triple Crown 2022: Oldestwoman to swim theSea of Galilee

ForGallant-Charette, thejourney to Calaisbegan with loss.

When shewas 46 years old, Gallant-Charette’s brother,Robby,diedofa heartattack. As amemorial, herteenageson decided to swim theopen water Peaks to Portland. Then he asked hertojoin.

“Atthattime, at theage of 46, Iconsidered myself alittle too oldtobestartinga sport,” shesays, “because most of these top athletes started in their teensand their twenties.”

Theday of theevent Gallant-Charette says,“Ican remember standingonPeaks Islandand Iwas overwhelmed. ThereI was, gray haired, overweight,and Isaid, ‘Pat what have yougottenyourself into?[But] you’rehereasatribute to Robby. Just get out thereand do thisand it will be thelast timeyou ever do an open water swim.’ But as Iwas swimmingacross Casco Baysomethingclicked.”

That “something” stayed andtoday Gallant-Charette continuesfacingher fears, settingrecords, andtakingonsomeofopen water’s toughest elements.

“I hadsuch aconcernonmyveryfirstattempt at theEnglish channel,” shesays. “I tried so hard for that, andI recognizedthatitmight notbesuccessful. Irememberthinking, well, howwill Ireacttothat? Will Ijust throwthe towel in andnever do another marathon swim again? Thedecision to tryagain was made beforeI even set out on that swim.”

On herfirst attempt across theEnglish Channel, Gallant-Charette hadtoquit due to strongtides. Hersecondattempt was canceled duetobad weather.However,on herthirdattempt Gallant-Charette made it. Shecrossed thechannelin17 hoursand 55 minutes at age66, setting therecordasthe oldest womaninhistorytomakethe crossingatthe time.Meremonthslater,atthe ageof72, sheswam thelength of Lake Zurich in SwitzerlandfromRapperswil —a16.4 milejourney

Forher,the secret to stayingstrongisnosecret at all. Shekeeps swimmingout of sheer powerofwill.

Rodney Toney 2019: Ring 4Boxing Hall of Fame inductee

Four time NewEngland Regional Champion

National title contender

29 overallcareer wins

“I used to fight on thestreets all thetime, because Ilived in aprejudicedneighborhood,” says Toney. “Fourblackfamilies lived in a1,000 house project, so it was kindofrough.”

ForToney,competitionisaboutthe head andthe heart. To him boxingisn’t just achancetograbthree minutes of spotlight.It’s aconnection with his past, athroughlinethatruns from his Hyde Parkchildhood andhis father’s own career in thering.

Toney’s career beganwith aflourish when he wonthe GoldenGloves, an amateur boxingcompetition —just twoweeksafter takingupthe sport. After knockingdown his first opponent, Toney—thenacocky 20-year-old —began to celebrate.

“I thought it wouldbeeasy to win theGoldenGlovesand Itookitlightly,” Toney says. “And then thenext round Ialmost lost.”

But he didn’t. Toneywon this competition andmany more afterthatuntil stepping back to coachtwo decadeslater. This first lesson, however, hasstayedwith him. Even today as Toneycoaches up-and-comingboxers, he looksfor thespirit someone brings into thering.

“It’s theheart, really,” he says. “If they [can] take thepunchoriftheylistenafterwards when youtell them thisiswhatyou need them to do.”

Sometimes thesecret is that thereisnosecret at all

Stayingphysically andmentallyfitintomiddleage andbeyondtakes acombination of countless factors. Genetics andhealth play ahugerole. Somepeople are simply predisposed to keep their strength as they getolder.Luckmatters too. But accordingtoDr. Brian McKeon, asports medicinespecialist at NewEngland BaptistHospital, theathletes whocarry on year after year tendtohavetwo things in common: psychologyand injury

“You wonder howthisguy can do thisand that guycan do that,” McKeon says. Partofitisstayinghealthy.“When youget older, youjustcan’t recover from injuries.

But, he says,“someathletes as they getolder, they reallystabilize their emotions. Their psychological skills arejust tremendous.”

Thepeople whostay fit day after day,the ones whonever lose sight of their goals andwho keep settingnew ones,they’re theoneswho will seem to somehow stay competitiveyear after year

Because ultimately,there’s no “somehow” aboutit. “You bank those habits,” McKeon says, “you’regoingtoreap those rewards.”

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Thriving in retirement: Creativewaysretirees arestaying physically andmentallyhealthy

They’re livinglife to thefullestand pursuingtheir passions, from thegolfcourse to thestage

BY MARIYA GREELEY (Sponsored by Tufts Health Plan)

Atage 70, author andformerWall Street executive Jim Owen found anew passion: fitness.“I was in terrible shape. Imean awful. Chronic back pain, both knees were shot, no energy,and so on,” Owen says.“That motivated me to becomewhatIcall aman on amission to becomeasfitasI possibly could.”

Over thenext fouryears, Owen slowly builthis strength,focusingonbecoming functionally fit —tomoreeasily participate in daily activitieslikewalkingonthe beach withhis wifeand picking up groceries. Now83, ayear agohesaid, “I’m actually in better shape today than Iwas when Iwas 40 or 50.”

Owen wrote “Just Move!A NewApproach to Fitness After50” andproduced adocumentaryonaging well (that aired on PBSstations) to inspireothers to prioritize their health, regardless of their ageorfitnessexperience.

Thereisnoone-size-fits-all approach to stayinghealthy and happy as youage.Many retirees likeOwenare findingunique ways to embrace ahealthylifestyle whilepursuing newor lifelongpassions.

Working (and playing) in retirement

Tony Gallardo,71, spenthis career as arealestate broker in Boston. When he retired, he switched course —tothe golf course. He’s nowapart-timestarter rangerata privategolfcourse in Florida, helpingcheck in players andmonitoringthe course, something he’s often dreamed of doingasalongtime golfer.

“I’m outside, outdoors on thegolfcourse. Idoget exercise because Ihavetobeabletowalk around thegolfcourseand assistthe players,”Gallardosays. He also gets exercise through oneofthe job’s perks: free golf roundsfor him, his family,and his friends at thecoursethreeorfourtimes aweek. “It’ssomething Ilookforwardtoevery day,” he says.

help people?” FieldsBrown says.Now,in2024, they have steadyand physically demandinggigs playingmusic at assisted livingfacilities. “We’restill playingour music andhavegotten even busier! We nowplay fivetosix gigs per monthand are bookedfor theentire year!” adds FieldsBrown.

Nurturing mental health

Thebenefits of these passionsand pursuits arenot only physical but mental too. Fields Brown says that their gigs requireher to constantly learnnew songs on the pianoand guitar,fromElvis to theBeatlestoJimi Hendrix.

Additionally,playingfor assistedlivingfacility residents hasconnected them to others, with many people approachingthemafter their showstoshare stories of what themusic they played meanttothemintheir youngerdays. “Itdoes our hearts good to spread this joy, thejoy of playingmusic, especially for appreciative audiences,”saysFields Brown. “This keeps us alive andengaged.”

“It does our hearts good to spread this joy, the joyofplaying music, especially for appreciative audiences. This keeps us alive and engaged.”

Donna FieldsBrown

Donna FieldsBrown, 72,isalso pursuingher passion in retirement.After a 30-year career as an ICUnurse, sheand herhusbandre-formedthe hard rock band in which they’dmet decades earlier.Their band,Medusa, recordedtwo albums and touredthe countryplayingshows for several years.

“Hereweare in ourretirementyears, in ourmid-60s at thetime,” Fields Brown remembers. “We’rehopping in oursinger’sRV, andwe’retravelingthe country andwe’replayingall these differentvenues andjust gettingour music adored, havingthe timeofour lives.”

AlthoughFields Brown andher husbandstopped travelingthe country at thestart of theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2019, they didn’t giveupmusicagain. “AlthoughI didn’t wanttodonursing, Ithought,how canweuse ourmusic to

Gallardo considers his part-timejob at thegolfcourse relaxingand lowstress compared to theworkhedid before retirement.

“Stress is probably abig part of howyourhealth is affected, andsoone thingI wanted andknewwhenI tookthis position is that this is goingtobesomethingthatI’ll sleep well with because there’s no stress involved. Whatever youdoinretirement,eliminate thestress.”

And for Owen, his passionfor fitness andagingwellhas hadthe benefit of helpinghim andhis wifebondand become closer than ever.Theyworkout together several dayseach week andhavefun while doingit. “I wanttoemphasize howmuchfun it can be to make this into ahobby,”hesays. “Wetry to push each other in ajokingway.”

Embracingthe adventure of aging

Owen believes that oneofthe keys to healthy agingis continuingtolivelife to thefullest.

“One of thehallmarksofbeingasuperager,I think, is havingfun finding that spark,” he says. “Somepeople think,‘My life is over;I’m now80. It’s alldownhill.’ Well, it can be. Or youcan say, ‘Theadventure of life is stillanadventure.’”

Fields-Brown seesaging as an evolutionratherthana fullstop.She shares “A lotofpeople thinkthatretirementisjusta time of retreatingfromthe world. Oh contraire,” shesays.“Thinkofretirementasbecomingself-actualized,doing all thethings that younever hada chance to do in your youngeryears when you were working, when youwerestartingafamily.It’s really thetimefor pursuing your passions andsharingthose passionswith others.”

Bottom images left to right: Gallardo and his son playing golf in 2018, Fields Brown when she and her husband first formed their band, Fields Brown today playing the keyboard with her bandmates.

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