Last Updated on July 29, 2021
We absolutely love getting story ideas from all of you — after all, you’re the ones out there Growing Bolder! And it’s such a pleasure when you help us discover and salute men and women who are proving that it’s not about age; it’s about attitude.
That’s exactly what happened recently on Facebook. Gregory M. sent us a message that read:
Please check out Dave McCoy! He Turns 100 this month. Without his fortitude, vision and generosity, this whole town of Mammoth Lakes would never exist!
There is a Movie Mammoth Dreams that tells his story. The Mammoth Lake Foundation put up a BIG b-day card for everyone to come in and sign. After I finished my message, I started reading others and began to weep at the beautiful impact this man has had on so many lives!
As you can imagine, we had to know more about Dave McCoy. And as Gregory promised — the story is nothing short of stunning. Here’s a trailer from Mammoth Dreams:
{Mammoth Dreams, the Story of Dave McCoy – trailer from Chris Pyle on Vimeo}
Mammoth celebrated Dave’s centenarian birthday (August 24) with a tribute on its website (including a special message for his wife Roma, who turned 95), and a video called “They Said I Couldn’t”:
Powder, a magazine for skiiers, also highlighted Dave’s life in a recent article, sharing that he never took a vacation, not even once in the five decades of running Mammoth dating back to Thanksgiving Day, 1955.
While he sold the resort in 2005, he hasn’t slowed down in retirement. He lives in the Eastern Sierra, where he has a passion for photography and even launched a new business and an active Instagram page:
Here’s one of our favorite spots to backpack. The backcountry between Bishop and Mammoth is unbelievable. A photo posted by Dave McCoy (@davemccoyphoto) on
Dave McCoy is an inspirational centenarian and a great example of Growing Bolder. Know someone else who deserves the spotlight? Let us know on Facebook!