Cyclist, administrative assistant, mom and grandmom; Boston
“God has given me mental strength, and I use this strength to stay motivated. I don’t keep a lot of clutter and confusion in my life. I’ve become much more organized with age, which makes life a lot less stressful.”
These days Hughes lives for cycling and traveling the world. What she’s most proud of is raising three great kids.
“I’m so pleased and proud of my children, and my four lovely grandchildren.”
Wise words: “I’m first in my life. If I’m happy, I can make other people happy.”
After she divorced her husband years ago, Hughes says she started to really take care of herself.
Age-defying secret: “It’s no big thing for me to prepare my own meals. Everything I eat is made from scratch; I’ve never had a fast-food hamburger in my life. I tend not to buy frozen, boxed or prepared foods. I spend a lot of money on groceries. It’s my health. You cannot put a price on that.”
On staying fit: “I used to smoke three packs of cigarettes a day, but I just knew I had to stop. So I did—cold turkey. That was 30 years ago, and it was also the beginning of my love for exercise.”
“Today I work out six days a week. I love spinning; that’s what got me to go out and buy a real bike. I love most any cardio workout, except for running. I also do a variety of classes at my gym.”
