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” Credit: Rolfe De Guzman “I have lived many lives within my 80 years, from school teacher and mother raising four children on a farm in rural Victoria, to travelling the world extensively with my husband back when he was a member for the International Olympic Committee; we campaigned for Sydney to become the host city for the year 2000. There were careers in various industries between those two points, too – everything from tourism to running a John Farnham concert, but this is a roundabout way of explaining that I’ve always been a big believer in seizing every opportunity that comes your way.
I didn’t expect to become a model at my age. When my daughter convinced me to sign up with Silverfox Mgmt [a modelling agency representing talent over 30], I didn’t think I’d be suitable and only did it to humour her. The team at the agency, however, were very encouraging, so I auditioned for several campaigns and within a few months, I had been chosen to appear in the Mother’s Day campaigns for both Paspaley and Country Road.
Of course, when you’re my age, it’s difficult to stand side-by-side with the beautiful young models, but the shoots were so much fun and the outcomes were incredible. I couldn’t believe it when I walked into a Country Road store and there I was on a huge screen. I’ve never felt invisible because – ironically – visibility is something I never looked for.
True, women my age have traditionally been overlooked in mainstream media, but that’s all beginning to change now that brands are recognising that we’re the ones with the spending power. Why not advertise to our age group using people who look like us, wrinkles and all? There were many older women walking the catwalk at the Melbourne and Australian Fashion Weeks and that’s no happy accident. It’s nice to flip the script on the way some sections of our society view what they call the ‘blue-rinse brigade’.
There are challenges that come with modelling in your 80s. The technology, all those file transfers, halo lights and other tools when you’re trying to arrange auditions can be a nightmare, but life in general is wonderful. By this age, you’re in a comfortable space about yourself and who you are; you’ve seen interesting things so you’ve got great stories, but you’ve also got time to create more.
Recently, I went on a backpacking adventure to Italy with my daughter, and we’re going to the Olympics in Paris. I’ve had a very fortunate journey so far and I’m looking forward to what’s next.”.
