You are here: Home / 2009 / Archives for January 2009

Growing Bolder Skydivers Set New World Record

January 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment


Sixty never look so good. They’re a group of energetic men and women from age sixty to over 80 that like to hang together. Literally. They came to Deland, Florida from all over the US and from at least 5 other countries to take a crack at the world freefall formation record for skydivers over the age of sixty. Appropriately, their group is called SOS or Skydivers over Sixty.

They’re retirees, college professors, doctors, mailmen, teachers, business owners, automotive mechanics, and more. The only common denominator is an unmistakable zest for living, a joy for life or Joi de Vive as one women from Quebec put it.

Sure, they all have the normal aches and pains of those their age but they also have a big smile, a twinkle in their eye and a spring in their step. I didn’t see an overweight person in the group. Interestingly, they don’t view themselves as thrill seekers or dare devils. They say they‘re simply a group of people who want more out of their golden years than sitting on a couch watching TV. Like others who are Growhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifing Bolder, these skydivers prove it’s never to late. While some have been skydiving for decades, others didn’t make their first jump until they were in their 50’s, or 60’s, or even their 70’s. That’s cool.

The world record was 43 skydivers connected in a single formation. Amazingly, just a few years ago, the record was in the 20’s. That speaks to the rapidly increasing numbers and skill level of older skydivers.

It takes intense planning and incredible execution to pull it off. And they did. The record now stands at 48. Their goal was to push the record to 60. That’s a major milestone for this group. They made three attempts at 60 and got pretty close but couldn’t quite pull it off. They’ll try again next year when they reconvene in California.

The SOS record was documented exclusively by Growing Bolder.
To watch the video, click here.
To view a photo gallery of the big day click here.

http://www.growingbolder.com
Filed Under: Adventure, Extreme Sports Tagged With: ,

Growing Bolder with the Most Famous First-Granny in History

January 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Forget politics. There will be plenty of time to discuss, debate and second-guess. For now, hats off to the first family-elect for already providing an invaluable positive image role model — a loved, needed, and independent grandmother. When the Obama family moves into the White House, Michelle Obama’s 71-year old mother, Marian Robinson, will join them.

The first-granny will be there to help care for granddaughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, just as she did during the long campaign. For 22 months, she cooked breakfasts, drew baths, helped with homework and drove the girls to ballet lessons and soccer practices.

She’ll also become a role model for the growing number of retirees who are moving in with their children and grandchildren. Even before the economic downturn, more than 3.6 million parents lived with adult children in 2007, according to census data. That’s up 67 percent from 2000. That number will only increase in the years ahead and thanks to our new first-granny, families will know that seniors can still live an active, fulfilling, and independent life under the roof of their children.

Widowed in 1991, Robinson remained in her blue-collar neighborhood and continued working as an executive secretary despite the success of her two Ivy League-educated children and famous son-in-law. She also competed in track and field events at the Illinois Senior Olympics.

Even though she prefers to remain in the background, rarely grants interviews, and never seeks attention, the first-granny will help make a very timely and important statement about the importance of grandparents to American families. Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson.

http://www.growingbolder.com
Filed Under: 50+, Grandparenting Tagged With:

Boomers Get Their Widget On

January 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Guess who all the big brain technology gurus talked about at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas? You. This weekend, the CES hosted its first annual Silvers Summit to discuss how older Americans shop for and use consumer electronics.

Several key studies were released to coincide with the summit and the message was exactly what Growing Bolder has been preaching for the past 2 years. Older consumers (50+) are just as tech-savvy as those ages 18-49. Older consumers use internet search as often as younger users. Older consumers are the fastest growing segment of the video game market. Older consumers have no more brand loyalty than younger consumers. Older consumers are as likely to purchase a HDTV, as those ages 49 and younger. 80% of 60-somethings used a cell phone in the past week — a rate nearly similar to those ages 18 to 34.

Of course, it s money that makes this interesting to the business world. By 2025, there will be estimated 1.2 billion people over the age 60 worldwide. That’s a huge market with unlimited potential. What are you doing to grab a piece of it?

http://www.growingbolder.com
Filed Under: 50+, Baby Boomers, Internet/Computers Tagged With: , ,