[Applause] at 71 I climbed Mount Katahdin the
at 71 I climbed Mount Katahdin the
at 71 I climbed Mount Katahdin the highest mountain in Maine to complete by
highest mountain in Maine to complete by
highest mountain in Maine to complete by 200 my 2,000 mile Appalachian Trail hike
200 my 2,000 mile Appalachian Trail hike
200 my 2,000 mile Appalachian Trail hike starting from Georgia and going all the
starting from Georgia and going all the
starting from Georgia and going all the way to me
you have the top of that mountain I was
you have the top of that mountain I was so excited and I was so amazed that I
so excited and I was so amazed that I
so excited and I was so amazed that I had actually completed this dream my
had actually completed this dream my
had actually completed this dream my passion is the outdoors at 85
passion is the outdoors at 85
passion is the outdoors at 85 I still enjoy biking hiking and playing
I still enjoy biking hiking and playing
I still enjoy biking hiking and playing tennis I’m very active outdoors
I feel extremely lucky to be leading a
I feel extremely lucky to be leading a life that I love however you might want
life that I love however you might want
life that I love however you might want to know you might not know that my
to know you might not know that my
to know you might not know that my success was built on many failures and 9
success was built on many failures and 9
success was built on many failures and 9 years of a struggle let me explain in
years of a struggle let me explain in
years of a struggle let me explain in 1976 I was 45 years old working at a job
1976 I was 45 years old working at a job
1976 I was 45 years old working at a job and had a good job but it didn’t meet my
and had a good job but it didn’t meet my
and had a good job but it didn’t meet my creativity’s it was not satisfying my
creativity’s it was not satisfying my
creativity’s it was not satisfying my dream was to turn my passion for the
dream was to turn my passion for the
dream was to turn my passion for the outdoors into a career change a job as a
outdoors into a career change a job as a
outdoors into a career change a job as a naturalist people if but I had three
naturalist people if but I had three
naturalist people if but I had three children I was divorced with three
children I was divorced with three
children I was divorced with three children people asked why would you quit
children people asked why would you quit
children people asked why would you quit a good-paying job that’s so risky I said
a good-paying job that’s so risky I said
a good-paying job that’s so risky I said time is slipping away I want to find a
time is slipping away I want to find a
time is slipping away I want to find a career that I love for the rest of my
career that I love for the rest of my
career that I love for the rest of my life
I made the decision to quit my job
I made the decision to quit my job little did I realize how much
little did I realize how much
little did I realize how much uncertainty and failure lay ahead I was
uncertainty and failure lay ahead I was
uncertainty and failure lay ahead I was went for eight months as a special
went for eight months as a special
went for eight months as a special student at VCU biology department
student at VCU biology department
student at VCU biology department starting my ology botany ornithology
starting my ology botany ornithology
starting my ology botany ornithology then I wasn’t accepted at and in as an
then I wasn’t accepted at and in as an
then I wasn’t accepted at and in as an intern at the Glen Helen Outdoor
intern at the Glen Helen Outdoor
intern at the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center in Ohio it was the
Education Center in Ohio it was the
Education Center in Ohio it was the perfect opportunity however it was not
perfect opportunity however it was not
perfect opportunity however it was not perfect in one way the center would not
perfect in one way the center would not
perfect in one way the center would not accept families I took another risk the
accept families I took another risk the
accept families I took another risk the hardest decision of all I made the
hardest decision of all I made the
hardest decision of all I made the decision to have my three children
decision to have my three children
decision to have my three children [Music]
[Music]
[Music] Susan 11 Kim 13 and Josh 15 live with
Susan 11 Kim 13 and Josh 15 live with
Susan 11 Kim 13 and Josh 15 live with their father during the time that I was
their father during the time that I was
their father during the time that I was fusing to complete my career switch as
fusing to complete my career switch as
fusing to complete my career switch as they sped away in their car towards
they sped away in their car towards
they sped away in their car towards their new life with their father tears
their new life with their father tears
their new life with their father tears trickled down my cheeks am i being a bad
trickled down my cheeks am i being a bad
trickled down my cheeks am i being a bad mother am i abandoning my children
during my three months of internship I
during my three months of internship I visited with my kids over Thanksgiving
visited with my kids over Thanksgiving
visited with my kids over Thanksgiving and spent a week at Christmas with them
and spent a week at Christmas with them
and spent a week at Christmas with them after that I would be away for six
after that I would be away for six
after that I would be away for six months because I was driving across
months because I was driving across
months because I was driving across America from Florida to Oregon and back
America from Florida to Oregon and back
America from Florida to Oregon and back having job interviews for outdoor drugs
having job interviews for outdoor drugs
having job interviews for outdoor drugs and camping out along the way we
and camping out along the way we
and camping out along the way we in touch weekly by phone calls and
in touch weekly by phone calls and
in touch weekly by phone calls and letters but it wasn’t the same as my
letters but it wasn’t the same as my
letters but it wasn’t the same as my being there for them interviewers were
being there for them interviewers were
being there for them interviewers were cordial and encouraging but after sixty
cordial and encouraging but after sixty
cordial and encouraging but after sixty interviews I returned home
interviews I returned home
interviews I returned home jobless what would I do what would you
jobless what would I do what would you
jobless what would I do what would you do
resembling with my children I decided to
resembling with my children I decided to continue my job search in the Richmond
continue my job search in the Richmond
continue my job search in the Richmond reason and during that time I worked ten
reason and during that time I worked ten
reason and during that time I worked ten temporary jobs three of them in parks
temporary jobs three of them in parks
temporary jobs three of them in parks finally I accepted that I was not going
finally I accepted that I was not going
finally I accepted that I was not going to succeed at my career of choice change
to succeed at my career of choice change
to succeed at my career of choice change and I began looking for jobs back in the
and I began looking for jobs back in the
and I began looking for jobs back in the middle management with the state that I
middle management with the state that I
middle management with the state that I had left two years ago right about this
had left two years ago right about this
had left two years ago right about this time I got a call from Chesterfield
time I got a call from Chesterfield
time I got a call from Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation they offered
County Parks and Recreation they offered
County Parks and Recreation they offered me the job of the outdoor recreation
me the job of the outdoor recreation
me the job of the outdoor recreation manager I could not believe it I it was
manager I could not believe it I it was
manager I could not believe it I it was just a miracle I had been all over
just a miracle I had been all over
just a miracle I had been all over America sixty interviews and here I came
America sixty interviews and here I came
America sixty interviews and here I came back to Richmond and finally landed my
back to Richmond and finally landed my
back to Richmond and finally landed my job participants face love I stayed at
job participants face love I stayed at
job participants face love I stayed at that job for 12 years until I retired at
that job for 12 years until I retired at
that job for 12 years until I retired at age 16 now by this time my children were
age 16 now by this time my children were
age 16 now by this time my children were grown and they had survived our time
grown and they had survived our time
grown and they had survived our time apart and they had grown into amazing
apart and they had grown into amazing
apart and they had grown into amazing adults that’s when I decided to hike the
adults that’s when I decided to hike the
adults that’s when I decided to hike the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail I applied to join the Sierra Club’s ten
I applied to join the Sierra Club’s ten
I applied to join the Sierra Club’s ten 200th anniversary hike on the 80 but I
200th anniversary hike on the 80 but I
200th anniversary hike on the 80 but I didn’t make the pick what now I found
didn’t make the pick what now I found
didn’t make the pick what now I found two wonderful older women hikers engi
two wonderful older women hikers engi
two wonderful older women hikers engi and Kay who walked my pace and we began
and Kay who walked my pace and we began
and Kay who walked my pace and we began our hike on the 80 on March 22nd 1992 we
our hike on the 80 on March 22nd 1992 we
our hike on the 80 on March 22nd 1992 we left Springer Mountain heading for me
left Springer Mountain heading for me
left Springer Mountain heading for me this was a trail life I was longing to
this was a trail life I was longing to
this was a trail life I was longing to have I was so excited
unfortunately I got 275 miles to Hot
unfortunately I got 275 miles to Hot Springs North Carolina when a stress
Springs North Carolina when a stress
Springs North Carolina when a stress fracture stopped me cold I began to my
fracture stopped me cold I began to my
fracture stopped me cold I began to my dream hike was over I began to think my
dream hike was over I began to think my
dream hike was over I began to think my life is going to be a continuous series
life is going to be a continuous series
life is going to be a continuous series of failures but another way opened up I
had a business I my speaking business
had a business I my speaking business was slow in the in the summer why not
was slow in the in the summer why not
was slow in the in the summer why not take a month each summer and go back and
take a month each summer and go back and
take a month each summer and go back and continue that trail and finish it it
continue that trail and finish it it
continue that trail and finish it it wouldn’t be the way I wanted it going
wouldn’t be the way I wanted it going
wouldn’t be the way I wanted it going all at once but I would get there maybe
all at once but I would get there maybe
all at once but I would get there maybe so for the next eight summers I hiked a
so for the next eight summers I hiked a
so for the next eight summers I hiked a month for the next eight summers and I
month for the next eight summers and I
month for the next eight summers and I got to finally inch by inch and mile by
got to finally inch by inch and mile by
got to finally inch by inch and mile by mile I arrived on top of Mount Katahdin
mile I arrived on top of Mount Katahdin
mile I arrived on top of Mount Katahdin at age 71
it is time we we women realized that we
it is time we we women realized that we have the power to decide the direction
have the power to decide the direction
have the power to decide the direction our lives are going to take I urge you
our lives are going to take I urge you
our lives are going to take I urge you be willing to take risk
be willing to take risk
be willing to take risk don’t let failures stop you learn from
don’t let failures stop you learn from
don’t let failures stop you learn from them and move ahead to live an exciting
them and move ahead to live an exciting
them and move ahead to live an exciting life that you can live
”
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