Cheers to 76 years young Maui resident Marilyn Knecht who is proof positive that passion knows no age. Knecht grew up surfing on the coast of Oregon in the 1960s and picked up windsurfing when it was fledgling sport 45 years ago. With a background in windsports, Knecht took to wingfoiling with ease and its now her go to way to enjoy the waters of Hawaii. When asked if she ever imagined she would still be riding at 76, her answer was straight to the point:
“I don’t think that way. I just get up in the morning and go do it. It’s uncanny.”
“Foiling is just so zen. I can be stressed out, anxious about something, having a hard time. I get on my foil board, it’s gone. I can’t think of any sport that has given me more peace than foiling. Love it. Love the water. I love to have something to look forward to. Where I live on the beach in Maui, there’s no excuse. No matter the conditions, I’m going to go out there.”
If you want to be more like Marilyn Knecht, these are her words of advice:
“Mostly I would tell people: get off your phone, get off the sofa, get outside, you know, go foiling. Learn how to foil. Don’t let age stop you. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish and what you can do and how tough you really are. Because life goes by really quickly. Really, this is what life is about. Life is about enjoying yourself and being kind to yourself. Just keep doing it. Whatever it is.”
