Wild ideas can turn into wonderful reality

Wild ideas sometimes turn into reality. That's what for my friend.

Monica was 64, and I wanted to hike the Grand Canyon for her 65th birthday. This would be her second out-and-back hike into the canyon — the first time was in her 30s with her husband.

She started casting the vision, and one by one, three women said yes.

Since none of them had ever backpacked before, they decided that a hike down to the base of the canyon and back would be challenging, but just right for our group.

• Sandy, in her late 50s, is Monica's friend and Shaklee business buddy.

• Jenna - Sandy's daughter was in her early twenties.

• Candice - a friend and customer of hers in her 40s who lives near her in Wisconsin. They were able to train together, which made the trip prep easier and more confidence-building.

When they started the hike, they did so with a mix of excitement and a little anxiety. Although they felt prepared and had trained well, it was hard to predict exactly how the hike would unfold. They had challenging moments, exhausting moments, but all in all, it was one of those bucket list moments that they will treasure the rest of their lives.

This adventure became a big confirmation that all the lifestyle changes Monica had dedicated herself to over the past 25 years had paid off. She actually had more stamina and strength on this second hike (and way less soreness!)

This awesome reality that I (and you too) can get healthier as we age is something I cling to as a motivator to take on new adventures and challenges.

After the hike! Monica has her hand raised.

Mark and I continue to explore and take on similar challenges. A couple of weeks ago, we hiked the Ute trail near the Alpine summit in Rocky Mountain National Park and also traversed down to the base of the canyon in Natural Bridges National Monument. We are so glad the we have good nutritional support to help us complete these adventures!

If you have some challenging adventures for which you would like some support, reach out and I will tell you about the things that work well for us!

This image looks lovely, but it took a descent of 6500 feet to get there, and then we had to go back up. And there were 3 of these hikes that day!