Emily's keynote presentations and workshops entertain while challenging people to reassess their risk taking and inspiring them to make their dreams happen.

Keynotes

• It's Never Too Late to Make It Happen!
  Are you able to follow through with your dreams and make them happen? Do you feel it's "too late" to begin? Emily Kimball is an adventurous person who in retirement accomplished her dreams of riding her bicycle 4,700 miles across America and hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Emily will share how to make your dreams happen by focusing on what you value most, being determined in the face of obstacles, gathering a support group, and being willing to take risks. Learn how you can move ahead in your life in ways you never thought possible.
• Overcoming Obstacles to Achieve Your Goals: Life Lessons Learned from Long Distance Hiking
  During her many extended outdoor adventures, Emily learned some crucial life lessons: the importance of refocusing after failure, of breaking goals down into smaller steps, and of living your life in you own unique style and pace. She learned to face up to tough challenges and accept support from others in order to accomplish her goals. Her talk is illustrated with compelling slides from hiking the Appalachian Trail. These lessons, when applied to life off the trail, can enhance leadership and team building skills and enrich relationships at work and at home.
• Redefining Old Age for the 21st Century
  Used to be we retired, got our gold watch, and sat in the rocking chair waiting for the end. No more. Seniors are out there having the time of their lives. They don't fit the stereotypical mold of old. What is your agency or business doing to incorporate the new age senior into your programs or work force? Emily's keynote will help you figure out how you can better relate to the 21st century retiree and how to redefine your concept of "old age."
• Get Acquainted with the New Age Senior
  In 1900 the average person lived 47 years. Today the average person lives 77 years. We have 20 to 30 years of healthy living after we leave the workplace and before frail old age. People around the world are experiencing this new stage in the life cycle. With children grown and career over, this added time offers an opportunity to chase down passions and dreams postponed in mid-life and to develop a fulfilling post retirement lifestyle. Join Emily and experience the exciting possibilities of your later years.
• Volunteers as Trail Angels
  Appalachian Trail thru-hikers experience random acts of kindness from townspeople during their hike. These "Trail Angels" often save the day by leaving gallon jugs of water hanging from trees at times of draught, or cans of soda cooling in icy streams. Your volunteers helping people in need are indeed "Trail Angels." This presentation, filled with tales from the trail, helps appreciate the wonderful work of your angels. An entertaining presentation ideal for Volunteer Appreciation Celebrations.

  General Workshops

• Make Your Dreams Happen! (often a follow-up workshop to a keynote)
  Through interactive exercises, we will take a look at what brings you the most joy in life. Using examples from your life, we discuss in small groups obstacles that keep us from pursuing our passion(s) and develop strategies to overcome these stumbling blocks. We will discuss the four elements necessary to achieve one's dreams: Focus, Determination, Planning, and Ability to Take Risks. Leave with a plan to go after a goal you've always wanted but never had the guts to go for.
• Stand Up to Ageism
  Ageism, like racism and sexism, is an insidious ingredient in our modern culture and often goes unrecognized. In this workshop we will take the "How Old I Am" test, discuss the findings of the International Longevity Center's recent report, Ageism in America, and explore ways that ageism is holding seniors back. We will become more sensitive to generalizations about older people and learn to speak up to ageism when we experience it.
• Risk Taking at Any Age
  Emily Kimball, cross-country cyclist at 62 and Appalachian Trail hiker at 70, feels that risk taking is essential to the living of a full life. How often are you stepping out of your comfort zone? Are you content with the degree of risk taking in your life? Explore these questions in this interactive workshop and leave with new insights and ideas of how to make the most of you life.
• Puzzling through Retirement Lifestyle Choices
  We are living 30 years longer today than we did in 1900, and we are much healthier. What are you doing with those extra 30 years? The choices can be mind boggling. This workshop will discuss ways in which to construct our own life course in retirement. We will get back in touch with our unique creativities and discuss the importance of being involved with the community, keeping our mind active, living a balanced life, and developing our leisure ethic.

  Workshops for Professionals in the Aging Field

• Enhancing the Volunteer Experience for Senior Adults
  As Maggie Kuhn, the late director of the Grey Panthers said, "It's such a shame to live long enough to learn so many answers when no one bothers any more to ask you questions." Civic engagement is one way of making sure the knowledge and life experience seniors have acquired are put to good use. Volunteering also provides a lifeline into the community and contributes to a feeling of usefulness - all important tenants of Creative Aging. This workshop will cover ways to improve the quality of the volunteer experience for senior adults so that they have a comfortable niche within your program, feel appreciated, and keep coming back.
• Strengthen Vital Aging through Creative Programming:
  New Ideas for Serving Healthy Seniors As the life span inches towards 90 and beyond, healthy seniors have many more years of leisure time. Senior Centers are challenged to reach out and serve the growing and diverse group of senior adults. What is your Center doing to attract this lively group? Emily Kimball, 75 years old and fifteen years retired, will share ideas for stimulating and active programs that will capture new age seniors' attention. She will suggest ways to support and encourage active senior lifestyles.

Call Emily to schedule a presentation to fit the specific needs of your audience.

Emily Kimball 4907 Beaver Lane, #104 Richmond, VA 23228 (804) 358-4959 etkimball@aol.com