50 States for My 50’s: Missouri

Deep in the middle of The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau, I paused to contemplate my own quest.

What did I love to do more than anything in the world?

Barefoot water skiing.

And just like that, the quest appeared before me:

I will barefoot water ski in all 50 states to celebrate my 50’s–and to encourage, inspire, and prompt others to unwrap their passions at any age. 

Back in 2010, I rediscovered my passion for barefoot water skiing after seeing a 66-year-old woman, Judy Myers, barefooting on the TODAY Show. At the age of 44, I put my feet back on the water and the passion just keeps multiplying! I now look forward to Growing Bolder instead of older.

At the beginning of this quest, I’ve already barefoot water skied in eight states. In July, I added Missouri to the list while on a trip to visit my brother, Brian. We joined up with Brian Tillema, an attorney from Kansas City and headed out to Lake Lotawana, home of the famed Don Thomson, a true pioneer superstar of barefoot water skiing.

In the same month, I headed down to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, my family’s hometown. Both of my parents were born there. I never in a million years would have ever thought that I would be able to barefoot water ski in this tiny, rural town. My cousin, Jerry, introduced me to Seth Burgett, an entrepreneur who has patented over 40 items, including YurBuds, semi-customized sports ear buds.

Six-time World Barefoot Champion David Small held a two day ski clinic on a beautiful, private lake. The barefooting conditions were fantastic and everyone in the boat had a blast.

Next up: Maine and New Hampshire!