This story is part of the July 14 edition of Sunday Life. See all 14 stories . My father was 83 when he discovered the joy of snorkelling.
On holiday together in New Caledonia, I can still remember the joy on his face when he emerged from the water and whipped off his mask, marvelling at the brilliant pops of coral and fish that he’d only ever seen on a screen. “All these years wasted,” he cried. “How did I not know this existed?” Yet when I shared this story, it was often met with shock and awe that my father would be interested in anything beyond baking a welcome cake for the Grim Reaper.
Although many believe that octogenarians are frail, dotty and ready to “call it a day”, this perception is slowly changing, explains Dr Anne Ring, author of Engaging with Ageing . “One of the interesting things about living longer and healthier lives is that women – and men, of course – have the time to explore opportunities that perhaps weren’t possible when they were younger,” Ring says. “This might mean embarking on a new career they’d always had their heart set on, or investing in a new hobby, because this is a time when you lose a lot of that fear that held you back previously; ageing is very freeing.
” Here, three women in their 80s explain why they’re living their best life. “I’m fronting major fashion campaigns across the country” Patricia Rosenbrock-Coles, 80 “By this age, you’re in a comfortable space about yourself and who you are” Cred.