After 95 years Betty Bothman is still trying new things. Challenged by her daughter-in-law to ride a motorcycle, which Bothman had never done in her life, she boldly accepted the challenge and recently took the ride of her lifetime.
"I didn’t want to back down from a challenge," Bothman laughed. "I was in good spirits and curious, so I agreed."
Bothman had always been opposed to motorcycles. Her husband was a doctor and would tell her about having to "fix the ones that crashed up a bike." She had thought they were dangerous, and avoided them.
A resident of Villas Courtyard, a Brookdale Senior Living independent living community in Albany, Ore., Bothman’s son and daughter-in-law came to visit her on a motorcycle. Bothman hopped on.
"When Betty returned on the back of the motorcycle, staff and residents stood outside cheering her on," said Vicki Biggs, executive director for Villas Courtyard. "It was an amazing homecoming."
Bothman has a fun, adventurous spirit and is always willing to have a good time. After going for her first ride, she was nothing but smiles, and said "All was fun!"
"She loved every minute of it," said Sharon Grace, life enrichment coordinator for Villas Courtyard. Grace has renamed Bothman "Hot Rod Mama."
"Betty's adventuress ways have not been changed as she aged," said Jill Chuculate-Welch, director of sales and marketing for Villas Courtyard. "I believe that Betty truly represents living an Optimum Live, and what our Independent Living residents are all about."
Optimum Life® is a lifestyle where whole person wellness is achieved through fulfillment in six key dimensions of wellness - physical, emotional, purposeful, social, spiritual, and intellectual. Optimum Life is exclusive to Brookdale Senior Living communities.
Villas Courtyard is located at 1929 Grand Prairie Road South East in Albany, and can be contacted at 541-928-9536 or .
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