Yvonne Dowlen has spent a lifetime on the ice. This 89-year-old from Denver, Colorado was born before the Great Depression and has been gliding, spinning, and jumping her way through life ever since she got her first pair of skates more than 75 years ago. The sport has taken Yvonne some amazing places—she has fond memories of touring the world with the Ice Capades—and it has also helped her through some difficult times, too. When a car accident at the age of 80 left Yvonne with a serious concussion, doctors advised her to hang up her ice skates. Yvonne wouldn’t didn’t listen, though, and turned her passion into physical therapy. Skating, she says, is easier on the body than walking since gliding puts less pressure on the joints than stepping. It didn’t take long before Yvonne was back on her skates and she still regularly competes against women half her age. Watching this inspiring video, I was delighted to see that Yvonne can still skate so gracefully. But what really impressed me is her attitude to life. So many people give up on their passion by that stage of life, especially after being in a major car accident. Yvonne, though, continues to embrace life. Even though I’m not a skater and I’m not especially talented at anything, I hope to have some of her attitude when I’m 89. Yvonne says in the video, “I’ll never be Sacha Cohen, but I am delighted to say that I have lasted this long and I am still skating.” Check out Yvonne’s awesome skating skills and her interview below!
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