From Beijing, to Bognor Regis, to Buenos Aires, Sandy Hazelip and Ellie Hamby are sending a message to elderly around the world that goes, “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”
The 80-year-olds are going around the world in 80 days, like Phillias Fogg and Passepartout, to have advanced fun at their advanced age.
Hazelip and Hamby met in Zambia two decades ago during work in on the continent. Hazelip is a physician and Hamby a documentary photographer.
A friendship was bound to blossom, and they had already had several trips together before they got the idea to see all seven continents and all seven wonders of the world on a mission to celebrate their 80th birthdays by going around the world in 80 days.
“We don’t travel first class. And so when we have other ladies, especially who say, ‘Oh, I would love to travel with you two,’ the first thing I always do is look at their hands. If they are well-manicured, they do not want to travel with us,” Hazelip told CBS news.
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Highlights from their trip so far include seeing the world from a plane above Mount Everest, and putting their foot down on Antarctica.
Their total itinerary is 18 countries, and they’ve already enjoyed a sled ride pulled by a dog team, seeing the Eternal City, the northern lights above Lapland, and a trek to see emperor penguins, despite the fact that they’ve both had total knee replacements.
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“My daughter is not too concerned,” Hamby said. “She just says ‘Well, if Mom falls out of a hot air balloon in Egypt or off of the mountain… That’s fine. She’s living the life she wanted to live, and I’m happy for her.'”
Their motto is to always smile; never get upset, and they hope their trip will inspire other silver hairs to have a swan song trip like them rather than waste away in a char.
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