– by Trysh Ashby-Rolls –
Author Nikki van Schyndel is not yet 40. So what is she doing in Grey Matters, a column for seniors? Simply put, she is here because she’s an inspiration to us all. Van Schyndel reminds us, whether we’re 50, 60, 90, or even 100 or more that the spirit of adventure never goes away. It may diminish, or downsize, but once there, it is there forever in some form or another.
Several years ago, at age 29, Nikki van Schyndel walked into the wilderness of B.C.’s central coast with little more than a hunting knife. She had not taken leave of her senses, nor was she running away from either her problems or her family and friends. Since childhood she wanted to live in nature: eat wild food, sleep in a shack she built herself, make her clothes from the bark of trees. Her story of survival and awakening is the subject of the current B.C. Bestseller: Becoming Wild (Caitlin Press, 2014).
Ada Clark is in her ’80s and lives in central west New South Wales, Australia. Described by ABC-TV as “resilient and adventurous,” it is the “untouched wild areas,” which fascinate her too. Working as an artist since she was in her ’20s, she has travelled the world, exhibiting in North America, Greece and Italy as well as in Australia, both “inspiring and inspired” by her surroundings. She now concentrates on pottery, place mats, prints and jewelry, all of which can be purchased from her online shop as well as from her studio should you find yourself in Millthorpe, NSW.
On her 90th birthday, a Tennessee woman celebrated by hang-gliding from an airplane. She was on a trip with ElderTreks, the world’s first adventure travel company designed exclusively for people age 50 and over. Established in 1987, ElderTreks offers active, off-the-beaten-path, small-group adventures by both land and sea in over 100 countries. The company offers wildlife and tribal African safaris, active hiking trips to the Rockies, Himalayas and Andes, expeditions by icebreakers to the Arctic and Antarctic and cultural journeys throughout Asia, South America and much of the world.
Company spokesperson Karen Rapp says their oldest client to date was 95. Anyone over 80 must have a doctor’s consent as the groups are pretty active and “it wouldn’t be fair to slow others down.”
Would you contact the writer if you saw this ad in the newspaper? “Fancy rafting across the Atlantic? Famous traveller requires three crew. Must be OAP. Serious adventurers only.”
Anthony Smith, a London-based former author, documentary film maker, adventurer and television presenter in his ’80s, decided to fulfill a childhood dream after receiving compensation following a hit-and-run accident that broke his hip.
Called the An-Tiki, the raft was made from four water supply pipes 12 metres long and 14 cross pipes. Seven of the pipes held the fresh water supply for Smith and his “mature and intrepid gentlemen” crew. With a 12-metre mast and 37-square-metre sail, twin rudders provided steering, along with centreboards and a couple of oars. The voyage took 66 days across 2,800 miles of ocean from the Canary Islands to St. Maarten in the Caribbean. The aim was to raise money for Water Aid.
Of course there were those who thought Smith and his pals were mad. To which Smith replied: “What else do you do when you get on in years?” He celebrated his 85th birthday halfway across the Atlantic with a chocolate cake baked on board.
Wouldn’t it be fun to see what Nikki van Schyndel gets up to at 85!
