Announcer: 0:07

Welcome to Aging with Purpose and Passion, the podcast designed to inspire your greatness and thrive through life. Get ready to conquer your fears. Here's your host, psychotherapist, coach, and empowerment expert, Beverley Glazer.

Beverley Glazer: 0:34

Why would a woman give up her comfort and trek mountains at 79 years old? Welcome to Aging with Purpose and Passion. I'm Beverley Glazer, a transition coach and catalyst for women who are ready to raise the bar in their own lives. And you can find me on reinventhepossible.com. Patti Shields Lefkos is an adventurer, a writer, a humanitarian, and a journalist with over 200 articles published in major outlets like the San Francisco Chronicle and the Globe and Mail. From a childhood love of wilderness to solo trekking in Nepal, Patty has turned her passion into purpose. And she and her husband have a nonprofit organization, Nepal, One Day at a time. Today, at 79, Patty continues to climb mountains, which only proves that it's never too late to do what you love and also to make a difference in the world. Welcome, Patty. Thank you. It's great to be here. Patti, you grew up spending summers in a cabin without electricity and no comforts, definitely no cell phones back in the day. What did you love about that?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 1:59

Uh I think it was the freedom and the non-gender specific way of life. I had a sister and a brother. I was the baby, and then there was the dog and mom. Dad would come on weekends, and we lived on an island. And so we had to learn to swim. We climbed trees, we built forts, we paddled a canoe when we got it. Um, it was a very free life and very outdoor life. And we were even in a tent the first couple of summers. Yeah. Mom and dad on a mattress in one direction, and the three of us on a mattress in the other direction. But you know, it was a very simple life. It gave me the basis of an extremely close family, a supportive family as well. And we were surrounded by extended family grandparents and great uncles and aunts. So it gave us, I think it gave us all a lot of strength and grounding.

Beverley Glazer: 2:58

Yeah. And were your family, was everybody really outdoor people? Did they always love the sports and fishing and hunting and doing all that stuff?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 3:08

Uh no hunting. But but uh yeah, my dad was a canoe guide in Algonquin Park during his university years. Mom was a really lovely swimmer and a tennis player at when she went to Western University. And yeah, they did, they enjoyed the outdoors and gave us all those skills as well.

Beverley Glazer: 3:31

And why did you choose to travel to Vancouver and study there?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 3:36

Well, after growing up as an outdoor kid, two things actually happened. In grade 10, I wrote, I read a book called Lost Horizon, the story of James, James Hilton's story of finding Shangri-La. And that always interested me. I think it intrigued me. And then uh for Ontario grade 13, which happened in those days, I was lucky enough to go to Nichatel, Switzerland. And I went to Nichatel Junior College for a year. And I was on the third floor of a house in my pension, and I looked out across Lake Nichetel to the Alps, and again I fell in love with the mountains. So after six years teaching in Toronto, I saw the light and moved west.

Beverley Glazer: 4:21

Out west, young man or woman in this case. Yes. And you were out west. You were teaching out west. Is that what you did?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 4:29

Yes, I was a teacher and then a principal, mostly in the east side of Vancouver in the inner city schools where we welcomed refugees from all over the world. It was um never boring. And you always kind of knew you were making a difference every day with the children and their families. But on the weekends, I well, I just happened to, well, I should say, I wanted to take children into the outdoors. And the principal I had at the time said, Oh no, dear, you're a lovely primary teacher, but I don't think you should do that. And so I went to Capolano College and I got a wilderness leadership certificate over several years. And then I got a master's in environmental education. So nobody could tell me that I couldn't do that anymore. But also by going to the CAP College program, I met the Wilderness First Aid instructor who was a fellow teacher and a mountain guide. And a couple of years later we got married, and then we started, continued doing our track trips around North America. And were you able to establish wilderness programs in the schools? Definitely. Yes. All those kids. It was it was a challenge. In the um on the east side of Vancouver, of course, there's not as much money, so you can't just ask parents for a week's, you know, to take kids to outdoor school for a week. So we did a lot of fundraising, but uh we got the kids out and they absolutely loved it. What did it give to the kids rather than just loving it? Um, an understanding of the environment. Uh, a lot of them that I'm still in touch with have grown up to be outdoor kids. They ski and paddle, and some of their kids do a lot of outdoor sports as well. It also, we hope it was environmental education as well. So those kids will be the ones that will help to take care of the environment. They'll be aware of the issues of climate change and things like that.

Beverley Glazer: 6:31

And so that was it was enriching, it was creative. Why did you decide to study journalism after all that?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 6:40

Oh, well, at 10 years old, my maternal grandfather died, and he left each of his grandchildren $100, which was a lot in those days. That was 1956. And uh mom and dad just said, don't squander it away. Buy something to remember grandpapa. It's your choice. And I bought a typewriter and I declared I would become a writer. And I did lots of you know, short stories and stuff. It's quite funny. I still have some of it, but I kind of put that in the back burner when I went into teaching. So the minute I retired, I went to Langara College in Vancouver for years, post uh postgrad journalism certificate. And then I started my freelance magazine writing.

Beverley Glazer: 7:27

Okay, and you got published like over 200 times. Yeah, yes. Was it all about the wilderness?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 7:35

No, no, often it was about, well, the wilderness, yes, but also about profiles of interesting people that were making a difference. I loved interviewing people. It's really fun because when you interview somebody, you can ask them whatever you want. You wouldn't go up to them in a coffee shop and ask those questions, but when you have an appointment for interview and you're writing a magazine article and you have their permission, you just find so many interesting, wonderful people to talk to.

Beverley Glazer: 8:03

Yeah, you're talking to the right person. That's why I love podcasting, and that's why I enjoy talking to you. So tell me, you and your husband attract all over the world. Places to most of us who we just look at in magazines and we dream of those places, but you were actually there. What did that teach you?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 8:28

You were everywhere. Oh I think mostly that we're all the same. I remember having a button I used to wear that had a globe on it, and it said all one people. And I really, really believe that. We have different languages, different cultures, certainly different levels of poverty or not. But you know, most people are just wanting to get along with their family, their friends, you know, take care of their children, and care about other people and their land or where they live. So we're we're all very similar. We have more similarities than differences for sure.

Beverley Glazer: 9:07

Yes, we sure do. And you were one of those people that trekked Everest and got up to Everest base camp. How old were you when you did that?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 9:18

Uh 65. That was our first, well, our first trek, we went to Tibet and did a three-day um walk around a circumambulation of Mount Kailash. It's a sacred mountain in Tibet. And the high pass on that was 18,600 feet. And I had never been at altitude, but we went very slowly and carefully, and we had our own map. We were with a group, and and I just thought this is so fantastic. So, and that was after our actually our first overseas trip was to go to England to walk the coast to coast trail. And I had never backpacked more than two or three days at a time. So to go nine or ten days was really something. I was quite afraid I wouldn't be able to do it. But somehow I did, and then we went to Tibet and we kind of wanted to give back, maybe volunteer, but you can't do that in Tibet with the oppression of the Chinese government. So we decided we would try Nepal. That was the other mountaineering area. And we certainly were not keen to go to Everest Base Camp. At first, we wanted to go to Anapurna Circuit and Anapurna Sanctuary and the base camp for Anapurna. And then we said, well, if we're there, you know, probably we should go to Upper Mustang. It's a Buddhist area near the Tibet border that would have that Buddhist culture. Then we thought, oh, well, if we're there, we might as well stay and do ever space camp. And so we did. But it was very crowded after the other more quiet, more spiritual areas. And when did Nepal capture your heart? Oh, during that trip, I think. And it wasn't just, it's the we always say you go for the mountains, but you go back for the people. So we had the same young guide and porter for that entire, we were there for three months for that, because we took breaks between tracks. And uh we just had such a strong connection to them. We heard about their families, their villages, uh, you know, what it was like growing up there and what their dreams were as well. So we wanted to go back. And so three years later, yes, three years later, we thought, well, let's go back and volunteer. We're both teachers who could really help. We go to their village and meet their families and help in their schools. And then Barry ruptured his Achilles attendant doing sprints with our grandson. So I was 67 and I thought, you know, almost 68. I thought, I a lot of my friends were getting ill, and you know, I thought, geez, maybe I'll be next. I better go. So with Barry's blessing, I went by myself. So I spent two and a half months solo with Raj, our guide. This is I that was part of the deal. I will go if Raj can be my guide and stay with me because I trusted him. And that's what I did. And well, so I volunteered in his village in the school, and then we went on a trek into that, back into the area called Upper Mustang with the Tibet culture. We'd had such a short time there, I wanted to stay longer, so went up there. But in the middle of that, Raj took me to a village that was quite remote at the end of a long road, and I was the first foreigner to visit that village. And they said, Would you help us build a school? And I said, Do they think all Westerners are rich or what? And but I came home, and a a year to the day that I had visited the huge earthquake hit Nepal, and that village was near the epicenter, and every home was destroyed. And so we that's when we formed our nonprofit and started fundraising to build them a school.

Beverley Glazer: 13:24

Most people, I have to ask you this question. Most people, when we get a certain age, start thinking about our health and travel and insurance and all kinds of problems that might happen when we're away. Here you are trekking all over the globe. What about accidents? What about insurance? Have you given that thought?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 13:46

Oh, we definitely always have travel insurance, and it has to be airlift evacuation included. And you have to have a long discussion with the travel agent saying we're not actually climbing a mountain, we're trekking at the base camp level. But you could need airlift evacuation helicopter, and that's always part of it. And yes, it's expensive, but it's interesting because compared to going to Europe or many other places, once you get to Nepal, it's much, much less expensive. And I'm a little worried because when I become 80, I think the insurance rates are going up. I don't, that's why I was we were trying to go this year for a uh one of our last big tracks and couldn't because of the unrest, etc. I was trying to get it in before 80, but we'll see. Um, it's one of the expenses you have to have.

Beverley Glazer: 14:41

Yes, it sure is. It's all part of the trip and the adventure. But let me also ask you, did you ever experience any problem? Did you ever experience pulled muscles or, you know, parts of your body that just didn't comply?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 14:55

Oh, sure. Um, last track, the big one we did a couple of years ago, I uh slipped on a rock in a shallow stream, and I didn't hurt anything too badly. I had a huge bruise on my shin. But you know what? Excuse me, it was a very hot day, and I got soaked in this really cold stream. And frankly, I was more comfortable for the next two hours because my clothes were all wet and they kept cooling me off. But we did have one serious problem at the end of our first track in 2011. Coming down from Everest Base Camp, Barry experienced what we think was some kind of angina attack, and we had to be airlifted to Kathmandu. And at midnight that night he had a stamp put in one of his arteries. And frankly, I think we got much faster service in Kathmandu than we would have had in Canada. And it turns out the doctor we got was um an Indian man who was living in the hospital in Kathmandu to train the Nepali cardiologists. So we got an award-winning doctor just lucked out that night. And Barry came home and was careful and he's fine. He's still skiing like a crazy person.

Beverley Glazer: 16:16

So no, no, you're ready to go. Um what would you tell someone who wants more fulfillment in their life, Patti, but they're really afraid to just take that first step, you know? It's new. What would you tell them?

Patti Shales Lefkos: 16:35

Pretty afraid by when I went to uh Nepal by myself because I thought I went over all those things. What'll happen if I get really sick and you know, Barry's not with me or whatever, whatever. And what I did actually was write down all the worst scenarios. And then I wrote down how would I deal with it? And you know, I didn't even have a bank card, for goodness sake. I had to get a bank card and learn how to get money out. I mean, it was ridiculous because I just didn't bother here. And uh, you know, if I got really sick, well, what would I do? Well, Raj would phone the company and help me, you know. I mean, what would I do if I got lost? Well, everybody's so kind. And I never was without, I was always in Raj's sight, or he was in mine, although we didn't always walk right beside each other. So I just and oh, and then I thought, because when you get into Kathmandu at night, you we generally go through Hong Kong, and you go you get into uh Kathmandu about 10 o'clock at night, and that airport, the parking lot, is jammed with taxi drivers, trekking company people, they all want your business. I thought, what the heck am I gonna do if I can't find Raj? I thought, well, I'm not gonna walk out of the airport, am I? I'm gonna wait until I can find him or or phone the company or phone him, or you know. Right.

Beverley Glazer: 17:58

So so uh the message really is you think of the worst that can happen, and you have a backup plan. Yep, yep. And so it doesn't prevent you. You just think of the best that can happen, and then think of the worst. And chances are it may not happen for the best, but it usually doesn't happen for the worst. Don't put your mindset in there.

Patti Shales Lefkos: 18:19

Well, and you know, with that's we did take small steps. We didn't start start by going to Nepal for three months. We went to England first. That was easier. Then we kind of got crazy and went to Tibet. But you know, but it was interesting because when we flew when we went to Tibet, we flew to Beijing and then to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. When we went into Beijing Airport, it was like being in Vancouver Airport. Everybody was speaking Mandarin and Cantonese. I felt so at home, it was lovely.

Beverley Glazer: 18:49

So it goes with thinking the best and go with go with your heart and have a backup plan. Thank you so much. Thank you. Patty Levkosa is an adventurer, an author, a humanitarian, and a journalist with over 200 published articles in major outlets like the San Francisco Chronicle and the Globe and Mail. From a childhood love of wilderness to solo trekking in Nepal, Patty has turned her passion into purpose. And at 79, she continues to climb. And through a nonprofit organization, she also makes a difference. Here are a few takeaways from this episode. Nature builds clarity, it grounds you, and it can give you purpose. Age isn't a barrier to adventure, mindset is. And courage grows when you embrace what scares you. If you've been relating to Patty's story, please try this. Choose one tiny little adventure, walk a new path, explore a new neighborhood, try something just a little bit different. Say yes to one thing that you've been postponing and reconnect with nature. Sometimes just five minutes outside can shift your entire nervous system. For similar episodes on fulfillment in later years, please check out episode 151 and 154 of Aging with Purpose and Passion. And the Woman in the Middle podcast, hosted by life coach Susie Rosenstein, helps women in the middle and in midlife and beyond to navigate changes, set goals, and find happiness. That link is in the show notes right below this episode. And so, Patty, where can people find you? Please share your links.

Patti Shales Lefkos: 20:48

Well, I have a website, Patti Shales Lefkos. I have two pages on Facebook. One is under my name, Patti Shales Lefcos, the other is Nepal One Day at a Time for the Nonprofit. And then on Amazon, you can find two of my books. The first is about the solo adventure, Nepal One Day at a Time. The second is about the childhood on the island in Ontario, and that's called Grounded by Granite. And also I have a new book that should come out next year, and it's called Nepal, it's never too late. And that's about an 800-kilometer trek that my husband and I did two years ago across the Great Himalaya Trail. And if anyone's interested in donating, we did build a school and three homes, and we've put one girl through university and another to come. Um, they can go to my website and look for the page about the society, the nonprofit society.

Beverley Glazer: 21:51

Wonderful. And all these links are in the show notes, and they're on my site too. That's reinventimpossible.com. And so, my friends, what's next for you? Are you just going through the motions or are you living a life that you truly love? Get my free guide to reboot your confidence, and that's also in the show notes. You can connect with me, Beverly Glazer, on all social media platforms and in my positive group of women on Facebook. That's Women Over50 Rock. And thank you for listening. Have you enjoyed this conversation? Please subscribe and help us spread the word by telling a friend and just putting down a review. And remember, you only have one life. So live it with purpose and passion.

Announcer: 22:48

Thank you for joining us. You can connect with Bev on her website, reinventimpossible.com. And while you're there, join our newsletter. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Until next time, keep aging with purpose and passion. And celebrate life.