In
Pursuit of the Fountain of Youth
by
Elvira Maricic |
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At
age 73, Madeline Mayhew is still kicking. Literally. The
petite Lakewood, Ohio, septuagenarian belongs to the North
Coast Follies, a troupe that puts on monthly Vaudeville-style
revues for senior citizens and allows her to kick it up in
weekly rehearsals of dances such as the Can-Can. In addition,
Ms. Mayhew recently returned from a tour of Italy and is already
planning her next vacation, all of this while holding down
a part-time job in the mail division of a large bank, a position
that requires a significant amount of physical exertion. "I'm
too busy to slow down," she says.
So
why is she in such great shape while many of her peers are
in nursing homes? Has she found the fountain of youth? Maybe.
"I take my vitamins, I see the doctor regularly and have tests
done, including the bone density test," she says. Plus, she
doesn't smoke, and you'll never see her gorging on junk food.
"Also, I've always been active, even as a child," she says.
"If you don't use it, you'll lose it, you know." She is definitely
onto something.
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