Sheila Nollert: No Expiry Dates - Why One Woman Canoed into the Wilderness at 65

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Sheila Nollert, who decided that turning 65 was exactly the moment to do something many people said she shouldn’t.

After retiring from her job with the Ontario government, Sheila found herself searching for purpose and wondering who she was without work. Then a chance sighting of a woman paddling alone into the Canadian wilderness sparked an idea she couldn’t shake: could she do that too?

Four years later, she pushed off in a canoe and spent four days navigating remote lakes completely alone, carrying her own gear, setting up camp in bear country and confronting both the physical challenge and the mental battle of being out there by herself.

We talk about the quiet ways ageism shows up once you reach your sixties, the doubts other people project onto you, and the bigger question beneath it all: when did we start telling ourselves it’s too late to try something new?

Because no one tells you that some of the most meaningful moments of your life might still be ahead - if you’re brave enough to go looking for them.

Get in touch with your thoughts at podcast@htb60.com

You can find Sheila on Instagram at @sheilanollert and read more about her book No Expiry: A Woman Fights Fear and Ageism and Takes on the Wilderness.

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