Episode Fifty of the Forward After Fifty podcast is about embracing adventure and stepping out of your comfort zone.

My guest, Geraldine McFaul, is a freelance risk management consultant and shares her inspiring journey of walking from her home in Glasgow to Rome.

She embarked on this adventure after her mother was diagnosed with vascular dementia, and she wanted to raise funds for Dementia UK and Mary's Meals in memory of her parents. Geraldine had minimal planning and relied on her intuition and the kindness of strangers along the way, the 'kindnappers as Geraldine named them'.

She faced challenges, such as the heat wave and the daunting task of crossing the Alps, but she persevered and completed the journey in six months. The experience taught her the importance of setting her own pace, embracing flexibility, and trusting in herself.

Geraldine plans to continue sharing her story through talks and writing a book. You can follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ged_home2rome/

Sara Barnes, author of The Cold Fix and The Winter of Our Lives, is my guest in this Forward After Fifty Podcast.  We discuss the benefits of cold water swimming for women over 50, including how it reduces physical pain and emotional distress. 

Sara shares her journey of using cold water therapy to overcome challenges after having had major leg surgery to alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis. She also discusses the extra benefits of finding a sense of community with other cold water swimmers worldwide, including overcoming the dread of turning sixty by swimming with sixty different people in sixty places and the friendships and stories that were created.

We discuss the importance of embracing one's physical self and taking action to live life to the fullest after the age of 50. It's about embracing age and its potential, as well as the personal growth and empowerment that comes with it. Don't let fear hold you back from living your best life.

If you'd like to connect with Sara, follow her on Instagram and learn more about cold water swimming. Read The Cold Fix and The Winter of Our Lives 

From broken to breaking barriers, Jo Moseley describes herself as a single Mum with two grown-up sons. In addition to her lovely day job, she is a freelance creative.

Divorce, perimenopause, and the loss of her Mother took Jo into a dark place; she describes herself as broken. Sleep-deprived, a friend suggested exercise might help; Jo purchased a rowing machine, and after two weeks, she began to feel much better. That rowing machine started a new direction that opened up multiple paths.

Since then, she has exchanged a rowing machine for paddleboarding and became, in 2019, at 54, the first woman to paddleboard across Britain's coast to coast. She has written two books, been featured in a moving documentary about her coast-to-coast paddleboard adventure, and has a podcast.

In this Forward After Fifty podcast, Jo tells her story about embracing bravery, overcoming fear, breaking barriers, and defying ageism.

Jo is such an inspiring example of creating change, and if you'd like to know more, follow her on Instagram

Read her books:

Stand-up Paddleboarding in the Lake District: Beautiful places to paddleboard in Cumbria

Stand-up Paddleboarding in Great Britain: Beautiful places to SUP in England, Scotland & Wales: Beautiful places to paddleboard in England, Scotland & Wales

Watch her film Brave Enough - A Journey Home to Joy

Listen to the podcast The Joy of SUP - The Paddleboarding Sunshine Podcast

Janice Jacquet is an artist and generously gave her time in 2021 to be interviewed for my book ⁠Forward After 50, The Rising Reinventors⁠

In 2023, I decided to revisit my ten interviewees in the following years to see if their ageing journeys, particularly any fears of ageing, had changed. In their initial interviews, each of the ten interviewees expressed concerns about ageing, particularly loneliness and fear of losing their independence.

Janice, a seasoned artist, once grappled with the notion of calling herself a professional artist. However, her journey is a testament to the power of self-belief. Today, her artwork graces various exhibitions, and you can catch a glimpse of her past and upcoming creations on Instagram.

Our conversation was a deep dive into a multitude of topics, ranging from ageism to the societal pressures that some cultures exert on individuals to conform to certain expectations of ageing.

We explore fears, such as losing close bonds made throughout a lifetime and the possibility of relying on others for support, and we discuss the importance of connection.

Janice Jacquet is a rising reinventor.

Read Forward After 50, The Rising Reinventors for tons of tips to age positively

My guest in this episode of Forward After Fifty is Carole Railton, a behaviourist and author. Involved in technology since her teens, now in her seventies, she has more than enough experience to share on the subject of Artificial Intelligence and technology for the over-fifties,

She has co-authored SeniorITy: How AI and Tech Can Enhance Senior Living o-authored with Lucia Dore.  

Carole explains how we can make the most of AI, its negatives, such as scammers targetting the over fifties, as well as the numerable positives,

Carole enlightens us on the myriad ways AI can enhance our lives, from improving our health to revolutionizing our shopping experiences. Most importantly, she underscores how artificial intelligence can empower us to maintain our independence, a beacon of hope for the over-fifties.

We discuss updating our skills and the opportunities resulting from this, including creating our own businesses.

Read the book to enhance your future and connect with Carole on X (Twitter) @carolerailton

In this episode of Forward After Fifty, we meet Siobhan Daniels, the retirement rebel. 

Siobhan, the author of The Retirement Rebel and host of the Retirement Rebel: Life after 60 podcasts, is not just a retirement rebel. She is a powerful pro-age campaigner, actively contributing to the movement to eliminate ageism, the most tolerated prejudice.

After retiring, Siobhan sold her home possessions and hit the road in a motor home to champion positive ageing. Her lifestyle choice inspires those looking to reinvent themselves and explore alternative ways of living.

You can connect with Siobhan and find out more by visiting her website, https://www.shuvonshuvoff.co.uk/ and following her on instagram

My guest today is Diane Watson, financial advisor and author of ⁠She Can Prosper: Unlocking Financial Independence and Empowering Women to Thrive.⁠

Diane is passionate about women's prosperity; her book has all the information needed to create financial independence and prosperity, including financial empowerment for women over fifty.

We talk about financial benefits and what you should avoid, Money beliefs and their impact on financial decisions: gender roles, finances, and education.

Diane says if you have not been looking after your money and are over fifty, it is not too late to start your financial independence journey.

So many women fear losing their independence as they age, and much of that fear is around not having enough money. I encourage you to read Diane's very readable book, where she relates different women's stories. All of these contain tips for us to prosper.

She Can Prosper can be purchased on Amazon, and for further information on how you can connect with Diane, go to her website SheCanProsper.com

In my book ⁠Forward After 50⁠ , I discuss connection as an essential part of moving forward after fifty. Connection is a top value of mine, so I wanted to have Honor Marks on my podcast, as Honor is about turning midlife into something magical. Her mission is to connect women over forty-five worldwide in her Magical Midlife Membership or her retreats in the south of France.

In this episode, we discuss why midlife can be and is potentially the most magical time, and being part of a community of like-minded women is not only fabulous, but it's good for your health.

Follow Honor on ⁠Instagram⁠ and check out her Honestly with Honor ⁠website to join Magical Midlife Membership.