I recently went on a 7 day hiking trip to Iceland. It was one of those trips where you hike as part of a larger group, giving you the chance to not only experience extraordinary scenery, but also meet new and interesting people from many different parts of the world.

I loved the trip. The views were gorgeous, the hike was refreshing – neither too easy and neither too challenging. Each day we were hiking between 10 miles – 15 miles, with an elevation gain ranging from 1500-2000 ft. I even got to see a live volcano and flowing lava which was quite an experience!

While the trip was amazing, somewhere in the back of my head I was telling myself that this was probably going to be one of my “last” multi-day hikes. While I love hiking, I have started to feel the onslaught of “age”. I know I am less fit. I know I need to take more care of myself, just to be able to do the same type of activities that I earlier took for granted. I can feel my knees 😦

What was therefore inspiring was to meet a 58 year old woman in my group, a solo traveler from Australia, who was doing the same hike as the rest of us, and had no intention of “stopping” taking such trips any time soon 🙂

Sonia was the definition of energy, enthusiasm, and a “never gonna give up” attitude. She could typically be found near the head of the group, laughing and sharing stories all through the 10 miles we hiked each day. While I grumbled about the cold and the lack of sleep, Sonia not only managed all this with a smile, her optimism gave energy to everyone else in the group.

Sonia and I became regular “talking partners” on our hikes. I learnt that she was a doctor in Australia, who intentionally took time out for enriching experiences each year. From volunteering to help chimpanzees in Africa, to polar plunging in the Arctic ocean, to hanging out with polar bears in Svalbard – Sonia was brimming with an inexhaustible trove of travel stories.

While amazed at the depth of her experiences, I realized that I was taken in much more by the fact that she had not let her age get in the way of how she experienced her life. While I was worried about getting old at only half her age (ok, a bit more than half but you get the drift!), she was carrying on, being very intentional and thoughtful about what she wanted to experience in life, and then making it happen.

I asked her – “What’s your secret?”. And here’s what she said – “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”. She just never stopped. This is how she was when she was younger and she just kept going. She exercises, keeps herself healthy and in good shape, and keeps “using” her physical, mental and emotional resources.

I’m glad I met Sonia as it gives me hope that if I want to, I don’t have to resign myself to a limited life in my later years. It’s not easy – it requires a lot of initiative, energy and stamina. But if I keeping “using it”, perhaps I too will lever “lose it”.