Client Story: Dorie’s Great Zipline Adventure
October 13, 2016 | Client Stories, Physical Activity
Windward Life Care client Dorie Radichel knows how to grab life by the horns.
This 86-year-young great grandmother of four was recently asked to name an activity she always wanted to try. When her surprise answer was zip lining, Burnell Jackson, the Vibrant Life Coordinator at Villa Bonita where Dorie lives, started her on a fitness plan to help make Dorie’s dream a reality.
Dorie’s inspiring story is just one example of how Aging Life Care™ Managers at Windward Life Care support their clients to not just live, but thrive in their golden years. Taking a holistic and customized approach to care, the Windward team encourages clients to find purposeful activities that emphasize their unique strengths and interests.
To get Dorie ready for her big adventure, Burnell developed a stamina training regimen so Dorie would be able to ascend the two flights of stairs to the zipline platform. She was game! Dorie walked and climbed stairs daily until she reached her goal. A trip to the La Jolla Zip Zoom Ziplines in Pauma Valley was then arranged.
La Jolla Zip Zoom boasts the longest zipline course in Southern California. In some sections, zippers can travel up to 55 miles per hour. And Dorie had a blast! With the harness keeping her safely tethered to the zipline, she enjoyed the long ride and spectacular views of the Pauma Valley, Palomar Mountain, and the San Luis Rey River. You can see Dorie on the zipline at a video posted on Villa Bonita’s website.
So what’s next on Dorie’s adventure list? “Burnell has told me about an indoor sky diving place. You can free fall at over 11,000 feet. That sounds interesting,” Dorie quipped. Stay tuned!