This week, I watched my daughter Kate (aka “Fast Kate”) race after her dreams, and compete in the 800 m track and field finals in the Olympics. She embodied the fighting spirit and is officially one of the top eight female runners in the WORLD! To me, Kate is so much more than an athlete…you can see in her post-race interviews glimpses of her humility, graciousness and quirky personality.

Last night, I returned back to USA soil. And, I’m re-living the glory of Rio through photos and videos.  Sharing the olympic experience with friends and family  made the excitement and her successes that much more special.

It’s been such a privilege to spend time with other Olympians and their families. I’m oozing with gratitude love, and the American spirit.

Throughout the week, there were endless opportunities to catch the Olympic energy….between cheering and jumping up and down while watching Kate, then biking through the city, sightseeing at Christ The Redeemer, joining in beach volleyball, and my favorite outdoor activity of all… stumbling across a beach bootcamp. I flung weighted ropes, swung kettlebells, and jumped through ladders …needless to say, I felt a rush of youthful VITALITY!

Feeling young is a gift, and feeling old is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This week, Harvard posted a new study that feeling younger at heart can help you live longer. The article said…

“A research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine found that older people who felt three or more years younger than their actual (chronological) age had a lower death rate compared with those who felt their age or those who felt more than one year older than their actual age….

Did a youthful feeling keep people alive? There was no association between self-perceived age and cancer death. But researchers did find that the relationship between self-perceived age and cardiovascular death was strong. They speculate that feeling younger may lead to better health habits. “Feeling younger or older itself seems to have an effect on our health,” says Dr. Ronald D. Siegel, assistant professor of psychology, part time, at Harvard Medical School.

“He says there are several ways that feeling younger psychologically might lead to better health. One is exercise. Good health is associated with 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. “When people see themselves as old, they’re more likely to abandon physical challenges which feel difficult, such as, ‘I don’t think I should ski any more, I’m an old man.’ When people feel younger psychologically, even if physical exercise is challenging, they’re more likely to pursue it, believing no pain no gain,” Dr. Siegel explains.”

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