I like reading inspiring stories to motivate myself. Today, I'd like to share a 86-year-old woman's story.

Her name is Meredith Hole, and she is still an active figure skater. Sixty years ago, her doctor told her that she had myasthenia gravis. She felt very sluggish all the time and had to give up figure skating. It was the most heartbreaking experience of her life.

Even so, she kept her body active by walking, jogging, and skiing. To maintain her sense of balance and muscle strength, she kept training herself. She also kept working out with her personal trainer.

When she was 78, her doctor told her that her condition was improving and she was in remission. She thought it was time starting figure skating again. She started taking two or three lessons a week. At first, she thought she had forgotten how to skate on ice, but her body remembered everything. It didn't take her long to remember the sense of skating. Now, she still keeps training herself five times a week. Even though she is 86, she can jump. She says she doesn't want to give up doing things just because she's getting older.

A couple of months ago, a woman in her seventies came to observe our knitting class. After that, she decided to join us. She's completely a beginner and still can't knit well. When I asked her why she wanted to learn how to knit, she said it had been her dream after retirement. It took longer than her plan because she had to take care of her mother-in-law. She seemed to be very happy to finally be able to do what she wants to do.

I think when we are young, we believe that we can do anything we want. However, as getting older, we tend to worry more about what others think or whether we are too old to try something new. We become hesitant to start new things. I don't think that's a good thing. I think we should challenge ourselves to do whatever we want and whenever we want. It's one of the keys to enjoy our lives.

If you're interested in this 86-year-old figure skater, you can watch here.

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