Age no bar: These 'senior citizens' are doing what they love and are unstoppable

In the recently released movie Dhak Dhak the inspiring Ratna Pathak Shah plays one of four women who breaks free from societal norms forced onto them as they embark on an adventurous trip The journey in question is a bike ride to Khardung La a mountain pass in Ladakh Shahrsquos character Manpreet Kaur Sethi AKA Mahi transforms into biker nani as she learns to ride a bike at 65 And this isnrsquot just a fictional tale three citybased individuals across professions bring out an adventurous streak in their senior years What drives them to take bold steps in their silver years challenge stereotypes as well as themselves and how do they keep up their bucket lists They tell us in candid conversationsActor Ratna Pathak Shah as Mahi in the film Dhak Dhak Pic courtesyInstagramTrekking up to a milestoneWe started the journey to Sandakphu a mountain peak of the Singalila Ridge between India and Nepal on September 24 and completed the trip on October 1 This is at a height of over 3600m above sea level The journey included tough terrains as well as a walk through Singalila National Park Every day we walked nearly six to seven kilometres But while walking downhill we covered 13 km in one go because there wasnrsquot any space to halt within the thick bamboo forest of the national park This was tough but was also a beautiful experienceMoments from Dr Nathanirsquos trek to Sandakphu Singalila RidgeI trekked with a group of younger doctors where I was the most senior in that sense I knew I had security in case I were to face any issues or decided to not continue I am quite active and fit I do yoga and go for walks but I wanted to challenge my body while still being in a protected and safe environment I have been trekking in the Sahyadris walking in my trekking boots to break them in and using the staircase all this helped me train myself for this tougher trip I had fears about whether I could manage if in case an injury took place would my bones be able to heal well at this age But my family and patients supported my decision My husband who was preparing to join us couldnrsquot come but he encouraged me to continue My peer who was overseas Dr Manjul Patwardhan was my inspiration because shersquos always activeAt younger ages we are studying and setting up our careers but now at this juncture in my life I have realised that I need to do what my heart tells me to I will take some time to plan my next adventure because at my age it takes time to evaluate my physique my mental state and other factorsDr Neeta Nathani 58 practising paediatrician and child specialist ChemburLife Mantra Donrsquot mimic what others are doing analyse what is best for you and the support you need to do itChecked off my bucket listHe bravely sky dives in Sydney Australia at the age of 67In 2021 I tried scuba diving and jet blading in The Maldives and this year in March I skydived in Sydney Australia These were the things on my bucket list and Irsquove crossed them all off When I went skydiving we took off in a oneengine plane up to 15000 ft I was second in line to jump out with the instructor and had butterflies in my tummy but once yoursquore in the plane itrsquos too late to back out anyway Once you jump you freefall for about a minute against the wind before opening your chute at about 8000 ft and begin gliding down You get a great view of the city and adjoining areas before you land five minutes laterI was more worried about scuba diving because yoursquore underwater and if something goes wrong therersquos nothing you can do But Irsquove spent 20 years on the ship as a captain and through various ranks so that helped me overcome a few fears Therersquos no real preparation other than the instructions you are given But you should have a strong mind once you decide to do it you donrsquot need anything else I am fairly fitI gym walk and play golf regularlyThe bucket list came into being because I thought I should try these things before I get too old Irsquove completed my list these are quite risky activities and I was lucky to have experienced them without any issue Upcoming plans include travelling hiking and more golfCaptain Umesh Thakore 67 exMerchant Navy owner of a ship and crew management business AndheriLife Mantra Do what you can while you canGolden girls can grooveJennifer Correa Noreen Vincent and Noreen DrsquoSouza in dance costumes ready to attend a line dance classNearly 10 years ago my two friends Noreen Vincent 85 and Jennifer Correa 69 and I 70 began learning line dance from Reina Azavedo from Mahim She was 81 years then and had been teaching until last year till another teacher took over We still attend class every week taking the bus to reach Mahim from Chembur A year after we joined many of our friends also wanted to join but couldnrsquot travel so we began a class in Chembur for ages 55 upwards The class is called the Line Dance OLPS Chembur and it is priced at R100 a month This money goes towards the hall we practise in and our yearly team picnics The three of us have also taught in other church parishes across Vashi Ambernath Vikhroli and Kurla where they later began their own classes for this dance formWe have about 40 to 45 women who are mostly in their 70s they come from Belapur Nerul Mankhurd and across Chembur We all look forward to the class because we have had the opportunity to build a community of women We celebrate our bond while ensuring we exercise for our physical and mental wellbeing It is an adventure through dance Did you know that line dance delays the onset of Alzheimerrsquos because one exercises their mind and body to learn and remember the stepsNoreen DrsquoSouza 70 teacher ChemburLife Mantra Chase away loneliness line dance to happiness