Active After 35 Thrive to 105

Dr. Kara Waltz has a family chiropractic practice in Oakland, CA.  She grew up in Columbus, Ohio and attended the University of Cincinnati where she was a scholarship athlete playing soccer and earned her BS in biology.  Finishing college Kara took off for California looking for an adventure and landed her first career as a cell biologist doing cancer research.  After several years working in the corporate science world she knew there was something more.  At 28 years old she entered graduate school and earned her Doctorate in Chiropractic in 2006.  During her chiropractic education she also coached a young girls soccer team, was a member of a professional sorority dedicated to service, volunteered at a women's shelter and did extensive traveling.  When Kara finished with her doctorate she took the opportunity to travel on her own through South America. participating in several non-profit service trips donating her chiropractic skills with a team of colleagues, in under-served communities in Brazil, El Salvador, Peru and more recently Haiti, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.  Dr. Kara has specialized her chiropractic training to caring for pregnant women and children.  She also loves to teach and has taught all types of health-related classes in her office including an informative talk for parents on childhood vaccinations.  She also teaches adjusting and philosophy courses to chiropractic students in her Oakland office. She recently bought her first home in Forestville, CA and is immensely enjoying the redwoods. swimming in the river and her first veggie garden.  These days she still plays indoor soccer, stand up paddles and hopes to get back to snowboarding this coming winter.   Age: 43 Born: Ohio, USA Current work: Chiropractor at Waltz Family Chiropractic Resources: https://waltzfamilychiropractic.com/ 510 379-9322

Michelle's story includes sexual abuse, a dysfunctional family, fairy tale love, and more. This woman is an achiever! She attacks life with the vim and vigor that exudes from her immediately when you meet her. Michelle has lived a life full of ups and downs. She continues to strive high and bounce back with phenomenal resilience. She is a survivor. Currently finalizing her degrees in organizational management and leadership Michelle continues her education and desire to improve, even past age 50. Her story includes much more than a professional career and we will have a chance to share some of the many aspects of this amazing woman. Speaker, leader, trainer, mother, wife, athlete, Michelle is a dynamic, strong individual who gives much to her community. She has been extremely successful training personnel serving some of the top-most and successful organizations in the world. She also is a senior adviser, speech writer, and sits on the board of Save the Earth Projects, Inc.  Michelle’s focus in her personal coaching business is overall health and wellness of her clients including personal and professional growth, leadership development, conflict resolution, resolving communication challenges and living a healthy lifestyle for optimal wellness. She enjoys an active lifestyle incorporating running, swimming, biking, yoga, and hiking. Michelle's story includes sexual abuse, a dysfunctional family, fairy tale love, and more. I know Michelle King through our running group Go WOW Team. I met her through coaching her in running with Go WOW Team my Women's Run Club. Join me now to listen to this discussion with Michelle King.

Jennie Matt is the Executive Producer of Women Sports Film Festival and an accomplished athlete in her own right. Equally successful as an entrepreneur, Jennie talks with Stephanie about her life growing up in a family of 14 kids, starting her own business, and her current involvement in the Women Sports Film Festival. Resources: Website: Women Sports Film Women Sports Film Festival 2017  Email hello@womensportsfilm.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womensportsfilm Twitter https://twitter.com/womensportsfilm Geena Davis Institute: www.thegeenadavisinstitute.org/ Twitter: @jennie_matt Jen@jennifermatt.com Time Ferris The 4 Hour Work Week

Stephanie talks about keeping it simple, taking time for ourselves, and making the most of simple things.

“I am not a teacher, I am an awakener" Brandi Mack is a holistic health educator, therapeutic massage therapist, birth consultant, master gardener and permaculture designer. She holds a bachelor's degree in Human Service Management, and a permaculture certification from Starhawk's Earth Activist Training. Brandi is motivated to work in community, particularly with women and girls. Brandi came from a broken household, and experienced a good deal of trauma and transition during her growing up years. Despite this, she overcame multiple obstacles and was truly enriched and empowered by many caring people within the African American communities where she was raised. These experiences gave rise to her thirst for social justice and community work. Call Child Protective Services! Although she disliked living and working on her grandparents' farm in Oroville, CA. it was a place where she gained healing and coping skills based on the natural environment. While as a youth Brandi looked at farm work as slave labor, her farm experiences led to the founding and directing of various Urban Farming and Healing projects in the San Joaquin Valley and greater Bay Area. Second Class Citizen At age 16, Brandi gave birth to her first of three daughters. Her commitment to protect her daughters from some of the traumas and mis-treatment she experienced as a young mother sparked her work in the fields of holistic medicine. Brandi relocated to Stockton in 1999 and founded the Holistic Health Center and the Ella Bee Project. The Holistic Health Center was a community facility that offered alternative wellness to underserved communities. Brandi’s mission was to “bring holistic health to the hood”. Brandi published a newsletter, “Holistic Pathways”, as a way to spread and educate the community at large. After closing the doors of the center, Brandi developed and taught coping with stress for Wellness Works, a special project with Stanislaus State University for 8 years. Brandi is the CEO and National Director of The Butterfly Movement and much more. Listen to the interview with Brandi, Ayana Labossiere, and Stephanie as she shares her personal evolution into a life that is very much devoted to awakening opportunity for the people in Brandi’s community.   *Quote from Robert Frost Resources: www.thebutterflymovement.com http://Facebook.com/thebflymovement www.crosspollinators.com

Nancy Phelps is a self-described eclectic who is also a hiker, climber, mountaineer, psychologist, and more. As teenagers, Nancy and Stephanie became friends when they both attended an Outward Bound School in the Pacific Northwest, the first-ever “girls’ course” offered. The girls hiked, climbed and explored the mountains while, at the same time, learning how to dig deep for confidence and trust as they faced wilderness obstacles throughout the 26 day course. Nancy and Stephanie loved being in the mountains and hiked the Pacific Crest Trail together a short time later. Listen to the interview that starts with Nancy as a little girl and moves throughout her life through today. From Mt. Washington on both coasts to the Grand Teton in the middle of the country, Nancy loves those mountains! She and Stephanie had a lot of laughs when discussing some of the old memories... Resources: Nancy’s Website: www.mindbloggling76.com Email mindbloggling76@gmail.com Northwest Outward Bound https://www.nwobs.org National Outward Bound https://outwardbound.org Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent outdoor-education organization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year. 

Tricia Cepeda changed careers and started her own business. Anyone who has done this (or considered doing this) knows the leap of faith that is required to take that first step. Tricia, a single mother of 4, recently decided to change careers and dedicate her work to her passion - health, wellness and breaking down barriers that hold us back from experiencing true freedom in our lives. Tricia retired from a 25 year career as a State Certified in-home child care provider so that she could pursue her passion for helping others to become their best selves through behavioral changes and transformation. She recently started her own business called NewDay2Dance, and will be sharing the ups and the downs, the goods and bads, the journey that brought her to this part of her life. Active After 35 Thrive to 105 Co-hosts Ayana Labossiere and StephanieKay Atwood share the interview and gain valuable insight into the strength of character needed to make this kind of mid-life change. Resources: NewDay2Dance website: www.newday2dance.com Facebook: NewDay2Dance Instagram: NewDay2Dance Twitter: @NewDay2Dance Email: newday2dance@gmail.com

Ayana Labossiere is one of the podcast’s co-hosts and has lived in Oakland almost all of her life. Her story is about thriving. Even through the very difficult role of care-giving to her mother, who suffers from a chronic disease, and working through the grief of a best friend who was murdered, Ayana perseveres and thrives. She is a Health & Wellness Coach, providing self-care strategies to overwhelmed and underserved people. She speaks to groups, does trainings, and provides individual coaching, helping her clients create more fulfilling and balanced lives. She believes very strongly in helping others with over 7 years of teaching and case management experience helping struggling students be successful. She is a community organizer, a wife, mother, and has been a caregiver to her mother for over 10 years. Ayana's training and education include a Health Coaching Certification from Health Coaching Institute, a B.A. in Comparative Ethnic Studies from Columbia University, and an M.S. in Special Education from San Francisco State University. Ayana started Thrive & Be Whole, after she got engaged and became a mom. She realized how important regular self-care was for her own survival. She also realized how many people in our society are being encouraged to burn out. Helping others has always been her passion! "Being a mom, a caregiver for my mom, and a public school teacher really burned me out. Over the past few years, I've become an expert in the art of OVERdoing! I started getting sick a lot, and finally wound up in the hospital for a day, and out of work for 2 weeks! It forced me to find ways to take care of myself. I believe that our society encourages us to overdo, and so I now teach people how to find balance and peace, so we can all continue to positively impact our world." She also believes very strongly that our mental health is heavily impacted by our society. The many layers of our identity i.e. our work/life balance, our income level, our race, gender, sexuality, immigration status, etc. all affect who we are. In order to effectively deal with our deepest struggles, we have to go to a deeper place. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her family and friends and taking her baby on long walks. She loves going out to concerts and anywhere that you can dance and eat! Resources: Health and Wellness Website Thrive and Be Whole

Climbing Mt. Everest actually includes a pre and post Everest life for all successful climbers including Sharon Wood. Sharon and Stephanie get to discuss this on interview 2 of the podcast Active After 35 Thrive to 105 which connects these 2 climbers way back in the 1970's and then traces Sharon's life from her childhood through where she is today having recently turned 60. “My goal is to stay in the adventure of life, where every day asks something new of me to unwrap and fulfill.” Resources: Sharon Wood www.sharonwood.net/

On the Active After 35 Thrive to 105 Podcast host Stephanie Kay Atwood and Mountaineer Sharon Wood  go over the three periods of climbing Mt. Everest. The exploratory period when the question was "Is it possible to get to the to top"? The best method period when the question was "What is a better, more efficient and challenging way to climb the mountain"?   The commercial period when the question was "How much will it cost to get me to the top of Everest"? They will discuss Sharon's own experience from 30 years ago and will also cover climbing ethics and today's commercialism on Everest. A brief bio of Sharon Wood: Sharon is an ACMG certified Alpine Guide with over four decades of experience in mountain guiding and instruction. Her approach is rooted in work with worldwide organizations, Outward Bound and the YMCA. Sharon is best known for becoming the first woman from North America to climb Mount Everest.  She and her small team did so by a new route and without Sherpa support. However considers her greatest personal accomplishment as having raised two high-spirited boys, and her role as co-founder and chairperson of an alternative fully-accredited private school in Canmore, grades K through six. Sharon divides her time between mountain guiding and climbing instruction, writing, inspirational speaking, and climbing and hiking in mountain ranges throughout the world.   She remains ever passionate about helping others realize their mental and physical potential in the mountain environment.  Having just broken into her sixth decade, she is particularly interested in supporting her current clients between the ages of fifty and eighty-five years of age, achieve a graceful transition from a drive to thrive state of being.  She is co-author with Pat Morrow, of i-book, ‘Everest – High Expectations’ and is working on another book. “My goal is to stay in the adventure of life, where every day asks something new of me to unwrap and fulfill.” Resources: Sharon Wood www.sharonwood.net/

The Golden Era of Women's Climbing is the topic of Stephanie's intro to the episodes highlighting pioneer women climbers who climbed simply for the love of it. During the 60's, 70's, and 80's climbing meant something very different than it does now. This is especially true for the women who made incredible strides and took incredible risks BECAUSE they loved being in the mountains! These women took risks, not to further any cause, but to pursue a dream and see what they were capable of, in the mountains. Stephanie introduces the subject from her unique perspective of both rock climbing and mountaineering, when the term climbing meant something quite different than now. Resources: StephanieKay@gowowliving.com www.activeafter35.com Go WOW Living www.gowowliving.com Sharon Wood www.sharonwood.net/ Arlene Blum www.arleneblum.com/  Molly Higgins Film http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100697/ Laurie Wood https://www.facebook.com/laurie.wood.5815 Nancy Miniszeck Phelps www.mindbloggling76.com Watch for the interviews of all these amazing climbers, and more! Barb Eastman, Betsy White, Annie Whitehouse, Catherine Cullinane

Active After 35 Thrive to 105 interviewed successful entrepreneur, innovator, and philanthropist Miki Agrawal who has accomplished an amazing amount for a woman under 40. Her story includes surviving 9/11, competing on a professional soccer team, starting 4 businesses (thus far), and becoming a new mother in a few months. There is quite a bit more to this young philanthropist who did not come by money without working hard for it. Read on and listen to the podcast for more details. From Miki’s Bio: “Miki Agrawal is a force of nature.” She was named 2015 Social Entrepreneur of the Year at the World Technology Awards and her Company THINX was named Time Magazine’s 25 Best New Inventions of 2015. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of THINX, a high-tech, beautiful underwear solution for women to wear during their periods. Here is THINX’s 13-minute documentary breaking down the menstrual taboo, an entertaining, educational, extremely well produced film that will pique your interest every minute of the film. Miki has delved into the light bladder leakage problem that women are facing today, giving women who leak the ability to feel like themselves again. 1 in 3 women pee a little when they laugh, jump, jog, sneeze or cough. So she and her team created a special gorgeous patented underwear called ICON to remind these women that they’re powerful women. For every Icon sold, Miki’s company funds the Fistula Foundation to fight the fistula crisis in Africa and other developing countries. Her most recent side project is called TUSHY: For People Who Poop aiming to upgrade the American bathroom experience (alleviating U.T.I.s, hemorrhoids, yeast infections and gross butt syndrome) while helping fight the global sanitation crisis that affects 40% of the world. Miki is also the Founder of the acclaimed farm-to-table gluten-free pizza concept WILD and has opened several successful restaurants in the US and abroad. Miki is an identical twin, half-Japanese, half-Indian French Canadian, former professional soccer player and graduate of Cornell University. Resources: For speaking and other engagements http://Mikiagrawal.com Instagram: instagram.com/mikiagrawal Twitter @twinMiki.com Shethinx.com https://www.iconundies.com/ https://www.tushy.me/ #forceofnature, #shethinx, #activeafter35thriveto105, #icon, #mikiagrawal,   

When Rosa Kadera-Redmond and I ran long miles together we had hours to discuss whatever came to mind. I was intrigued by a comment she made that was later followed up by our podcast interview and, just today, resurfaced on a radio byte on KCBS. Not white but not NOT white is the topic. What is it like being raised as a woman of color, not black, not white, but both? I spoke with Rosa, on a long run, and she was reflecting on a college course assignment that was related to a student perspective on daily life, media, and responses. The professor didn't even seem to understand, when Rosa raised the question, that things might be different for a person of color than the greater population of the class that was white. This intrigued me. Rosa was willing to interview for Active After 35 Thrive to 105 and I am pleased to share her story. Today's news recording of "Not white but not NOT white" was so succinct in much of what Rosa has shared that I took the line directly from the KCBS newscast. Thank you Rosa for the time and thought that went into the interview... Resources: Rosa can be reached through the Go WOW Living website or on Facebook at Go WOW Living or on Instagram at rkadera

Julia Stamps Mallon is co-Founder of Outessa an all Women’s Outdoor Weekend created in 2015. In a very short time Julia gathered forty top outdoor companies for two weekends of teaching, sharing, and educating women of all ages how to enjoy the outdoors. Julia also has over 20 years of running at an elite level. She has competed on 5 US World Teams, 2 US Olympic Marathon Trials and was a 6 time All American at Stanford University. Recently Julia began running trails and finished 7th female in the North Face 50km (31 miles) her first ever Ultra Trail Race. One of her passions is enjoying the natural beauty of Northern California State Parks and sharing the wonders of a life outdoors with her two young girls. We hope you'll enjoy the interview with Julia Stamps Mallon... Resources & Contacts: New Venture in 2017: The Outbound - The Outbound Collective - The Outbound is a community for adventure. Discover new adventures, plan travel, share travel stories, and inspire others. The Pursuit Series: https://pursuit.theoutbound.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOutbound/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoutbound/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheOutbound REI Outessa https://outessa.com/  

This episode recaps the first series of podcast episodes on Active After 35 Thrive to 105 and introduces what is coming next.

Karen DeBolt is one of my sisters. Listen to Karen’s story of love, reality, and growing up as a black person, with extreme disabilities, in a white family. Learn where she is today, over 50 and making her big sister so proud. The DeBolt Family is well known for the adopted children and blended biological families making a total of 20 children with almost as many physical challenges. Karen DeBolt’s interview, 45 years later is a testimony to the strength of love and bonding under the most convoluted dynamics imaginable! We are a family of 20 siblings, many of them adopted. Thus, when Karen is black and I am white; when Karen is 16 years younger than I; when Karen and I grew up in a family that was far from “normal” she faced obstacles that, as her white, older sister, eluded me until I understood, much later in life, that “love does not conquer all”. Love does make a HUGE difference! Karen’s story reflects on her life from being adopted at age 5 to her life now, having passed the half century mark. It has had its ups and downs, like all of us. Her story, however has added dimension due to the extreme difficulties that she has had to deal with. Born without legs and only partial arms most of us cannot imagine how we might function. Yet Karen deals with this on a daily basis and is also reminded, almost daily, that she is black and this can make a big difference. Her boisterous laugh has defended many situations where she was just plain challenged! Karen has given birth to 2 boys and has learned to be a competent and loving mother. Needless to say, she faced obstacles that many of us have never even considered. Karen’s story is one of hope, inspiration, and laughter Her laugh is contagious. When you listen you will laugh along with the two of us as we move from childhood to adulthood, from innocence to independence, from naïveté to wisdom. I was honored to interview my grown-up sister and share with the world what a truly beautiful and accomplished woman she is. Love you Sis! Resources: For speaking and interview opportunities contact Karen at (903) 904-4168. Facebook = Karen Debolt

Dr. Sandy Baird owns Riverstone Chiropractic in Oakland California. Sandy is the go to chiropractor for Go WOW Team, my run club here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Today’s episode on Active After 35 is focusing on marathon training and sports injuries. Dr. Baird is the perfect person to talk with because she works on clients daily as a licensed chiropractor. This field has become extremely important to athletes to keep them protected from injury and informed as they heal. Here’s a brief paragraph about what Dr. Baird covered in this informative talk. “I see my clients go thru similar emotional journeys with their running injuries. Usually it’s a really bad knee pain that is keeping them from running as much as they’d like. But that’s just the physical layer. Underneath is the fear that they will never get better or that this will get worse and they will never be able to run and they will never be able to release that stress of their day job if they can’t go running or a lot of people tell me they are scared they are going to gain weight if they can’t exercise, or they will never be able to trail run with their friends and they will miss out on the things they love! Or they know a co-worker who just had to have knee surgery and they are afraid of having to do that or of the results of that. But it doesn’t help to compare yourself to other runners, because just by looking at someone you have no idea what injuries they have overcome or what they may be silently suffering with, or what mechanical dysfunctions that they may have in their bodies that might turn into pain tomorrow or next week or next month… There is hope, there is help, you can recover from most running injuries even when they seem really bad. Work at being patient and kind to yourself and just know that no one else is walking (running?) in your shoes…you are on your own unique health and wellness journey, and sometimes that includes working through injuries. Join us as Sandy shares her story of how she started her professional life as a civil engineer, moved into massage, and ultimately became licensed as a chiropractor. Dr. Baird is a graduate of LifeWest Chiropractic College where she specialized in sports injury management and extremity adjusting techniques. A lifelong athlete, Sandy draws on her athletic and academic experience to provide a comfortable and effective treatment experience that best addresses the needs of her patients. Sandy treats local elite athletes and weekend warriors alike. She has provided treatments at Oakland bay area marathons, trail runs, and triathlons, including the See Jane Run triathlon, Brazen Racing events, and the Nike Women’s marathon. She also speaks to numerous local running groups and clubs on a variety of topics such as injury prevention, treatment of specific injuries, nutrition, and recovery techniques. Dr. Baird is a certified Active Release Techniques provider, which requires undergoing a rigorous credentialing process that includes in-depth knowledge of muscular skeletal structures in the entire body. She is also certified in Graston Techniques and SpiderTech taping, which have become the gold standard treatment modalities for soft tissue injuries. Before obtaining her chiropractic training, Dr. Baird received a B.S. in Engineering from U.C. Berkeley. She also graduated, with top honors, as a certified massage therapist from the National Holistic Institute’s training program, providing her with a strong background in anatomy and biomechanics. Resources: Website – www.RiverstoneChiropractic.com Email: info@riverstonechiropractic.com Phone: (510) 465-2342

 "My husband and I lasted a week in a bed together when he first moved into my house and we had to face the fact that as much as we loved each other, we just couldn’t share a bed." Nine years later, we are still very happily married and very happily sleeping in our own bedrooms every night. And I know that there are thousands of couples out there in the same situation because I spoke to many of them as I wrote my book. Unfortunately, not everyone feels confident to stand up and say “I sleep separately and it’s OK” because they feel they will be judged negatively. As a dedicated and happy separate sleeper, I am on a crusade to start two conversations. The first is the conversation between you and your partner about what your needs are when it comes to sleep. Is your favorite person to sleep with yourself? And if so, how can you tell your partner this news while re-assuring them there is nothing wrong with your relationship? The second is the conversation with you and the rest of the world that sleeping separately is OK. How can you let everyone know that there is nothing wrong with your relationship just because you want to sleep in your own bed every night, or even just some nights? I have written a book about how you can have these conversations called Sleeping Apart Not Falling Apart. Learn more as you listen to this interview with Bev Short, Stephanie Atwood and me. Resources: Website: SleepingApartNotFallingApart.com Book: Sleeping Apart Not Falling Apart on Amazon Email: jennyadams007@gmail.com

Irma Jennings, a dynamic and healthy 65 year old is a Holistic Bone Coach and founder of the company and blog with the same name -  Food 4 Healthy Bones. Irma went from the boardroom on Wall Street to the cutting board in her kitchen after returning to school in 2003. Diagnosed with osteopenia (bone density reduction) in 2005 her diagnosis was met with a prescription pad. As with most women, she found herself alone with the decision “to take prescription drugs or not to take” and if not, what other options were there? She decided NOT to take the drug option presented. Many women find themselves in this situation after their DEXA test reveals osteopenia or osteoporosis. Irma listened to her body as it said “NO to the drugs. This began her Food 4 Healthy Bones journey. Her choice was calcium and mineral rich foods and today her bones are strong and have not become osteoporotic. Listen as Irma shares details of and insight into that journey from the doctor’s office to where she is now. Resources: Website/Blog: www.food4healthybones.com Phone:  917-405-5410 (Eastern Time) Email: irma@food4healthybones.com  

Holly Haley is a beautiful, vibrant 36 year old woman who has battled weight issues for most of her life. This has never stopped her from participating in all kinds of activities including running races all the way up to a marathon, 26.2 miles. When Holly discovered that she had a thyroid issue, called Hashimoto's that destroyed her energy and added unwanted weight, she decided to have her thyroid removed. Unfortunately, that alone did not cure her energy levels and ability to control her weight. After doing some research about nutritional studies related to Hashimoto's, Holly decided to cut gluten from her diet due to intolerance. This allowed her to finally lose the excess weight that she had gained. However, since Holly had yo yo'd with weight for many years she had skin that would not firm up, even as she lost significant pounds of fat. This interview will cover Holly's story and decision to have surgery for skin reduction and the ramifications for anyone considering this type of surgery. We'll discuss the emotional and surgical issues in making this type of decision to change one's body.