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Andrea Beaman - Organic Visionary, Author
Oh gosh... it's hard to imagine any one year being better than another.  It's actually hard to imagine any one day being better than another!  I believe every day is a special blessing, even the "bad" days.  I'm grateful to be alive and healthy and celebrate my life on a daily basis, not just once a year on my birthday or a specific holiday. 

But, if I am forced to choose a specific year I would have to choose this coming year (2010) as the "most special." It will be my forty-second year on the planet and it seems the older I get, the more appreciative I am of life.  With each passing year I continue to better myself, develop and grow, learn new things, stretch my mind, and acquire knowledge.  The older and bolder I grow, the more wisdom I can share with others. 

It's interesting, when I was growing up as a young punk teenager in Queens NY, I thought my father knew nothing.  I mean... what could he possibly know about the world?  He was an "old fogie" who grew up in a different era.  Today, when he speaks I anticipate the wisdom he'll impart. There is so much I can learn from someone who has been here twice as long as I have.  He is 80 years young and I wish he could stay here forever, but I know this physical life is impermanent and he will eventually depart this world.  Knowing that, I realize every day of life is very special. 

And, every day I acknoweldge how precious and temporary is my own existence.  Every day (even the crappy ones) I find the time and space to appreciate and love my experience on this planet.  Every day I know this life will end... someday.  I don't know when, I just know it's inevitable.  With that being said, I have a feeling next year is going to be my best year ever; another wonderful year to celebrate and learn all about this amazing experience called life.

About Andrea Beaman
She is a nationally recognized natural foods and health expert who's passion is helping you look and feel your best. After overcoming a supposedly incurable thyroid disease, she knows what a difference your diet can make. Her recipes are simple, fun and delicious. And her philosophy, tips and advice is just as easy to digest! Her book is called, "The Whole Truth: How I Naturally Reclaimed My Health, And You Can Too!" Check out her web site for recipes and to learn all about organics.

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Ernestine Shepherd - Personal Trainer, Model, Bodybuilder
The most wonderful year of my life just happened in November, 2009. The Guinness World Records 2010 Book writers contacted me and stated that I was placed in the book! Also, I have an all expense paid trip to Rome, Italy March 15, 2010. It is so special to me because I'll be able to let people all over the world know that it is never too late to get fit. There was something I read awhile back. I would like to share this with you.
 
What Is a Strong Woman?
A strong woman is ageless. She is everywhere. She is not defined by her shape or size, but rather by her personal strength. She demonstrates emotional and spirtual endurance and mental and physical strength to help her overcome daily stresses. She strives for harmony within herself and brings peace and balance to those around her - in her culture, in her community, in her career.

That is what I strive to be and do for my remaining years!

About Ernestine Shepherd
Think it's too late to get off the couch and get in shape? Ernestine wasn't sure. She never worked out a day in her life, but after a personal tragedy she realized she owed it to herself to make a change. Little by little she transformed her body and her life! Now, in her mid 70s she has never felt better or been happier. She's embraced her role as an inspiration to anyone looking for a way to live life to the fullest. Check her out! She is simply amazing!

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Don McGrath - Author, Fitness Fanatic, Motivator
Interestingly, this past year has been the most amazing year of my life (so far anyway). A little over a year ago my wife quit her office job and went to culinary school to pursue her dream of working in the food industry. She now owns and operates a restaurant.

As a 46 year old engineering manager, this got me thinking about what my passion would be. I decided that my passion is staying fit as I age as well as teaching and helping others do this, so I began the process of researching and writing a book about athletes over 50.
 
This process has yielded many learnings and changed my life. I discovered what my passion is, and I discovered that not only do I LOVE to write, but people tell me I actually CAN write. My high school English teachers would never have guessed. I have also been able to tap into an amazing energy source that is fueled by my passion for writing and this project.

I awake at 5am and work until I go to my engineering job, then work many night and nearly all weekends. This has been truly eye opening, in that I now know that when you are deeply passionate about something, you can find incredible energy and will in order to accomplish it.

About Don McGrath
Inching towards age 50 Don wondered how long he'd be able to participate in the sports he loves. So he began to do some research and was amazed at how many vibrant, impressive and inspiring athletes he found. His book, "Dream It, Live It, Love It" is an incredible compilation of some truly unforgettable role models. He's even become an activist with his national 50,000 Athlete Challenge. Not bad for an electrical engineer! He's unwittingly discovered how making your passion a priority can change your life!

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Elli Fordyce - Singer, Survivor
I clearly remember how the year began and some of what occurred in rapid succession right afterwards. I was about 57 and since the age of 30 (now 44 years), I've always done a lot of metaphysical and holistic searching and work, with a lot of changes and shifts occurring, some very dramatic -- even instantaneous.

A very important shift occurred during a coaching call on the phone using a modality called Geotran created by Dorothy Espiau (http://www.geotran.com/default.asp). One of Dorothy's proteges was developing a program about prosperity which intro I attended, arranging a private session with the facilitator.

In the midst of our call I had a startling breakthrough and, after not singing for 15 years, the next day got the NYC-performer trade paper where I found and arranged for a vocal evaluation from a great teacher and a performance w/s.

Not long after, I had my first life coaching experience, split up a way-too-long-term relationship that had been a really bad fit, found my jazz guru, Barry Harris, began gigging around NYC and met the love of my life at 58! It was quite a time and much of what happened then set up what is ongoing today!

About Elli Fordyce
Elli is a highly accomplished vocalist and actor. She has entertained all over the New York Metro area and has numerous acting credits: Film -- September 12th, TV -- Cappelle's Show, and Live Theatre -- Guys & Dolls. Amazing, considering she didn't sing a note for 15 years after a debilitating and traumatic auto accident. But now, in her mid 50s, Elli is back on stage, as entertaining and inspiring as ever.

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Debra Jarvis - Author, Chaplain, Cancer Survivor
The best year of my life?

It had to be 1985. I had just turned 31 and had started Clinical Pastoral Education--chaplain training--at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. I started out as a very conservative evangelical Christian. I loved my patients and was so distressed that the ones who weren't "Christian" or "saved" would be burning in hell. I was so upset that I plunked myself down in my supervisor's office and said, "I feel so terrible for them! They seem to have dynamic spiritual lives but--they aren't Christian!"

My supervisor sat back in his chair and gently said, "What if you allow your experience to inform your theology instead of your theology informing your experience?"

It was if I'd been struck by lightning. It was beginning of a whole new life for me as I realized that "spiritual" doesn't exclusively mean "Christian." Something burst open in me and for the first time in my life I talked about my dad's alcoholism. I also met my future husband (a non-Christian!) that year and fell in love in a way that I never had before.

It wasn't easy letting go of my nice black-and-white view of the world. It was painful but ultimately freeing and made into a better chaplain and a better person.

Thanks for asking!

About Debra Jarvis
Debra has had a fascinating, front row seat to a very difficult part of life. As chaplain for an oncology care center she gained critical insight into the preciousness of life, the wonders of the human spirit and the importance of human kindness. It hit home when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, then just five days later, so was Debra. Her ordeal encouraged her to help others benefit from her unique perspective, so she wrote the book, It's Not About the Hair: And Other Certainties about Life and Cancer.

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Clarence Bass - Author, Bodybuilder, Fitness Visionary
One of the best was my second year in law school (1961), when I unexpectedly—surprised me and many law professors—rose to the top of the class. (I graduated in second position.)
 
Law school admission policy was different at that time. They admitted just about anyone with a college degree—and then set about weeding out students with a vengeance. I scored about 54 (scale 1-100) on the legal aptitude test; my advisor warned me that I’d have to work extra hard to stay in school.
 
About 75 students were admitted, and I was the last of 14 to make a passing grade on the first test. Grades were posted in the hallway for public viewing. Students were humiliated with minus scores—they would’ve done better turning in a blank sheet—and demeaning appellatives such as “Impossible.” It was a brutal—but fair—system that rewarded effort and performance. Eleven graduated, including one classmate who transferred in from another law school.
 
I told my dad early on that I didn’t think I could do the work, but he talked me into sticking it out. I am so glad I did. I distinctly remember floating home on a cloud after learned that I was at the top of the class. It may have been the highest “high” I ever experienced.
 
That told me I could do just about anything I set my mind to. That’s pretty much what happened—and is still happening.
 
The take away message is clear: Work hard, and don’t give up. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish.

About Clarence Bass
He is widely regarded to be one of the most influential fitness experts of the last three decades, not for the contests he's been part of, but for his diet and training philosophies that altered the boundaries of what's possible and desirable. He once had an incredible 2.4 percent bodyfat, something unheard of today. And now, in his early 70s he's proved age alone is not a barrier to being, as he likes to say, ripped! He's also an attorney and the author of nine books, any of which could change your life. In his case, seeing is believing, so click here to see some astounding photos of Clarence taken throughout his life.

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Harriet Anderson - Awesome Ageless Athlete
I believe the best year of my life was in 1989.   I was 53 years old and I competed in my first 1/2 Ironman triathlon.   I won my age group and I qualified for the Kona Ironman.   I placed 4th in the Kona Ironman and I recieved an award.  I knew I had endurance but I did not know I would be able to finish an Ironman race.

About Harriet Anderson
Harriet got off the couch at age 52 and figured it was time to get in shape. Now, in her mid 70s she's in the best condition of her life, finishing the Kona Ironman Triathlon 18 times. That's the toughest triathlon of them all, and she may just be the toughest competitor of them all. Midway through she crashed her bike, broke her collarbone, but still finished the ride and the 26 mile run! 

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Lynn Ruth Miller - Comedian, Author, Storyteller
I think the best year of my life is always the next one. Each year builds on the one before and each year adds richness and depth to what I have learned from my life, clarifies my goals and sifts out the preconceptions that keep me from realizing my dreams.

I am closer to my personal nirvana each day I live and I am more certain of who I am and what I want to become. Each new day makes me more comfortable with myself and ready to appreciate the unique qualities I have cultivated to make me who I am and lead me to where I am going. I am more able to give of myself to the world and share what I know and who I am with others each day I live.

That is why today is marvelous, this year a delight; tomorrow promises to be even better and the year to come more wonderful than than I can imagine.

About Lynn Ruth Miller
Everyone laughed at her when at the age of 70 she decided it was time to follow her dream. And now, she's in her mid-70s and they're still laughing. Her dream was to become a stand-up comedian and she's been a great success, even appearing on NBC's America's Got Talent. But she's also an accomplished journalist, artist, singer, actor and even stripper! Check out her web site, and remember, Lynn Ruth Miller is proof that it's never too late!

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Iris Davis - Bodybuilder, Personal Trainer
What was the best year of my life? What a thought provoking question.  Uhmmm, let me see. I could go any way with this question.

I could ponder the world and its problems, the war, unemployment, the  problems with Health Care, Terrorism, Global Warming,  the drug problems.  I could spend a long time worrying about our younger generation and the difficulties  they have to face.    However, I am not going to bother about these things, I have learned the hard way that these subjects can be discussed over and over with no solution ever being reached.  Heaven help us, not even the Government can solve these problems.
 
Therefore, I have decided to look into my own Crystal Ball predict that THIS will be the best year of my life.
 
As a Personal Trainer working with clients of all ages in the Gym, what I really want to happen this year is have even more success with teaching and inspiring my clients about physical fitness, proper nutrition and how to live stress free lives by keeping active and staying young.  This year I have seen clients completely transform themselves, their lives and their outlook on life.  What an amazing feeling for me when I see that happen, and I know they are my friends for life.
 
I intend to stay active in the fitness and bodybuilding community and pass on my vast knowledge of both to my clients.
 
In the past I have encouraged young clients to compete in Bodybuilding and Fitness shows, to great success.  This year my aim and hope is to get my senior clients to compete in shows and my first client to enter will be a 62 year old man who has only been training for 9 months with amazing results.  My hope is to get him up on stage before his family and friends in September of this year.   We have 9 months of hard work ahead of us, and we shall both enjoy every minute of it as we watch his body transform, and he becomes the man he always wanted to be.  That will be the realization of his dream, I shall help him achieve it.
 
If I can accomplish that, I will be quite pleased.  Of course I am always grateful that my clients trust me to help them achieve some goals and as far as I am concerned, there is no better compliment I could receive.
 
As for myself personally, all I want is my health and fitness. I know I can accomplish my dreams if I have those. 
 
So Crystal Ball, make my dreams come true this year.  Oh Yes Please Do.....please, please, please.!!

About Iris Davis
Iris is 66 and says she couldn't feel any better or be more proud of who she is. This after being stricken by a virus that left her temporarily paralyzed. Not only is she a mind-blowing physical example of what's possible with a little effort, work and passion, but she's a mind-blowing mental example of what's possible with the right outlook, philosophy and attitude. And everything she's learned she's passing along as a personal trainer for clients from age 15 to 62. Did you know she once tackled an armed robber who was fleeing police? This grandma's got game!

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Kay Glynn - Motivator, Track & Field Champion
Since I’m 56 there are many years to think about when I look back and try to decide which one was the best! I have had lots of wonderful and exciting moments that have changed my life, but I don’t really think I have had my best year…yet!  I guess that means that I believe in that old cliché that “the best is yet to come!"
 
I would have to say that this past year has been the best so far!  I have made some big decisions this year, and it has been a very exciting and learning experience! I closed the doors to my dance studio where I had been working for over 20 years.  Deciding to close my studio was a difficult decision to make because I loved my job, but my own dance teacher had given me some advice many years ago.  She said, “Owning a dance studio is a great occupation, and the years can be remarkably fun and exciting--just like a merry-go-round.  But you have to know when it’s time to get off!”  And this year, it was time for me to give it up. But, I had a plan!
 
The timing was just right for my husband (of 36 yrs.) and I to purchase a private insurance company.  I work there part-time which gives me time to start a new vocation as a motivational entertainer.  While I have thought about doing this for several years, I just felt nervous about quitting my dance business and taking the plunge into starting a new business at this point in my life.  But it has been a good decision, and I am so excited about it!  I have learned that change can be a good thing, and I am ready for another challenge!
 
I have lead a very active life and stepped it up a notch by becoming involved in track and field.  I feel healthier, more fit, and happier than I have ever been in my life!  As a motivational “performer”--not just “speaker”--I will be showing my audiences a few stunts and exercises that are a little bit on the unusual side, but it is my way of having fun while staying fit.  I will entertain my audiences and provide them with information and helpful hints so they can learn to live healthier lifestyles while having fun at the same time!
 
So at this point in my life---
I get to spend more time with my husband (and yes, we work well together!)
I have time to workout which I love to do!
I get to play (and I mean really, physically play) with my 3 grandkids.
I have a new website at www.kayglynn.com
I have just made the cover of a magazine at www.grandmagazine.com
I get to meet new people and go to new places.
I get to teach people how to live healthier lifestyles and be happier--like me!
AND I get to be “A Thought Leader!”  My life is good.

About Kay Glynn
After a 30-year layoff, this former college track star decided to get back into the competition. Did she ever! She's now in her mid-50s, grandmother of three, and holder of many national and even a world record! And she's working on her latest venture, motivational performing! What good are her exploits on the track if you're not there to see them? So she brings them with her to speeches and presentations that motivate, inspire and delight. The message? It's never too late! Sound familiar?

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