Fabafterfifty: Fabwomen
We all know women who inspire us to take a look at our own lives. ‘Fabwomen’ is all about introducing women who have not been afraid to try something new or different, and who’ve overcome their own fears or limitations and followed their dreams, whether stepping outside their comfort zone to take up new interests or pursue a new career or relationship.
We hope our Fabwomen’s stories will motivate all of us to try at least one thing new!
If you have a friend, colleague or family member, whose experiences in their fifties could inspire others, why not nominate them for a future Fabwomen feature!
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Article by Fabafterfifty My background is I was adopted while very young and went on to enjoy a private education. I left school at 16 with extensive secretarial qualifications and was soon running the typing pool for a large London company. I married at age 19 and had three children and gave up work for several years to look after them. My marriage did not last Unfortunately my marriage did not last and I was living in a one bedroom flat in a strange town with my three children under age 9. I had no money, no job and I thought I had no prospects whatsoever. I reached rock bottom when I was sitting on the floor of my living room with my children. They all had chicken pox and I had flu. I only had one 50p piece left for the gas meter and I decided there and then...
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Janice, walking the Great Wall of China
Article by Fabafterfifty With her children having flown the nest, Janice Gauld, 52, from Rotherfield, East Sussex has just completed a ten day trip to China to walk the Great Wall to raise funds for the Heart Radio ‘Have a Heart’ charity in support of disadvantaged children. Janice decided at 52 it was ‘now or never!’ With a 30 year career as a nurse, Janice had worked alongside colleagues at the McIndoe Surgical Centre who had undertaken charity walks, and had always wanted to participate. Janice decided it was now or never! Some of the Wall has been renovated and attracts many visitors, mostly day-trippers, but a lot of the wall (and there is about 3000 miles of it altogether) is in disrepair and this was the sort of terrain we were walking on for the most part. The Wall follows the contours of the mountains so even when you’re... -
Elizabeth, first Novel published at the age of 72
Article by Fabafterfifty Its Never Too late to Follow Your Dream ! When I discovered Elizabeth Egerton Wilder had her first novel published at the age of 72, I just had to include her as a ‘fabwoman’. What an inspiration Elizabeth is to all those who dream of writing a book. Although Elizabeth has said she has always enjoyed writing, it is only in her 70s that she has found the time to dedicate to write seriously. Now living in Pennsylvania, Elizabeth thoroughly enjoys her life with her very own Romeo (her husband belongs to a group of Retired Older Men Eating Out!) Why did you wait so long to write your first novel? Writing a book was always a dream for me but it never seemed to be the right time to take the time needed to do it. When I slipped into my 8th decade, I felt it... -
Building a Business and keeping Children Safe on the Web
Article by Fabafterfifty “All these years I’ve been honing and practicing and developing my skills. Now finally, I’m in a position to use them to do something brilliant. It’s about legacy and helping others, and it really doesn’t matter that I’m 50+ years old, it just makes it all the more potent. Amazing things can happen when you are more worldly-wise, and long in the tooth.” I’m Rhianne and, if you were to ask Twitter, my official title is that of Fairy Godmother I run my own business supporting small and medium size companies as they work towards brilliance. I’ve worked with some famous names from The Sunday Times Rich List but if I were to whisper a word, I would have to kill you. Did you ever reach a point where you finally felt like you’d found your vocation? You reach this point in your life and instead of... -
Susan, starting over at 50+ following bereavement
Article by Fabafterfifty Starting over at 50+ was it a mid – life crisis? No. It was a necessity, says Susan, something I had to do because of life circumstances. I had to start over The year is 2005 and I lost everything that gave me comfort and my sense of security. The man I had been living with for eight years had succumbed to lung cancer after a two year battle. My twenty year business as a Textile Rep in the New York Garment Center met its death to imports. I had to start over. I felt lost, alone and very frightened. Everyone tried to remind me how strong I was. Encouragement such as- Didn’t you just care for a dying man on your own without the help or support of his family? Didn’t you start your own business in your 30’s in the midst of your... -
For Sheila, Life became Magical after the age of 50
Article by Fabafterfifty Shela has a a tale of success in the face of adversity. I am now, at my tender age of 60, probably more than ever, discovering the beauty of maturity as it brings contentment and freedom. Long gone are the days were I worried whether my bum was too big, has another wrinkle appeared on my face as I now look in the mirror and love being me Would never have thought I would be leading the life I am now I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for downsizing 2 dress sizes or a flatter belly If you had asked me 10 years ago if I would have thought that I would be leading the life I am now – I would never have dreamt that anything so awesome and magical could have happened in a million years! And I really... -
Sleeping under the Tanzanian Stars
Article by Rosy Holt Following a long career in the travel industry based in Italy, Rosy co-owned and ran a successful hotel booking agency in central London for ten years, until on her way to work one morning she decided she wanted more much more from life and went about turning her life round and now is involved with a few carefully chosen businesses and although the financial rewards aren’t what they were, the overall reward is far greater she insists. Back to school after 50 Just the other side of fifty Rosy went back to school (well college really) and studied a full time for a year doing a City and Guild Certificate in floristry, she joined The Athena Network in 2008, when she was looking at networking opportunities to promote a business she only has time to dapple in these days, (event floristry), although The Athena Network... -
I am a Fabwoman
Article by By Jaki Scarcello I really believe that. But when Ceri suggested I write my fab story to include in the illustrious company of women like Deb, Marianne and Sandy, I had to stop for just a moment and ask myself , “am I that fab?“ The answer? No I am not. I have not done anything as brave or courageous as my fellow fabites . No skydiving, mountain climbing, rig scurrying here, nor any examples of incredible benevolence or overcoming catastrophic illness. So why did I not say,” Thanks Ceri but you need to find someone so much more worthy than me?” Because, when I started to think about it I realized my lack of enormity is exactly the point of my story. I left my home of 43 years In 2000 I left Canada, my home of 43 years (short stay in Ireland from age 0-6) and... -
From Breast Cancer to Climbing Kilimanjaro
Article by Deb Hunt My name is Deb Hunt, I live in Oxfordshire with my husband Martin, two teenage children and a horse sized Labradoodle dog named Bailey. It was on April 1st 2008 that I discovered I was to become one of the 46,000 women in the UK that are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. April 1st, ‘April Fools Day’, a day when jokes are played – unfortunately for me it was no laughing matter! At the age of 43; wife; mother; part-time charity worker; dog walker; taxi service etc etc, juggling life and trying to keep all the balls in the air on a daily basis, as we all do, I decided that I was not going to become a ‘victim’ and that I would tackle this challenge head on. A mastectomy quickly followed, then 18 weeks of chemotherapy and 5 weeks of daily doses of radiotherapy,... -
Sandy, a ‘Tall’ story
Article by Fabafterfifty Sandy shares with us her experiences and the challenges she’s set herself since her 50th birthday. In May 2008 I had my 50th birthday and I didn’t like it at all. Several of my friends had already reached fifty and seemed to just take it in their stride. I really didn’t like it and had no fuss made at all, despite promises to all my friends several years earlier, that I was going to have a big party. I didn’t like reaching 50 I can’t analyse why I didn’t like reaching fifty – it was all in the mind. I married my wonderful husband in 1983. We had been happily married for nearly 25 years, have three lovely children – two boys and a girl and live in a beautiful house. I was very happy but I just felt that I didn’t want to reach sixty,...
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