Optimal Aging

From Alaska to The Golden Bachelor: Diane Firmani on Living Boldly at 71

• Jay Croft

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In this inspiring episode, Jay Croft talks with Diane Firmani — a 71-year-old triathlete, women’s hockey player, and standout on the latest season of The Golden Bachelor. Diane shares what led her from snowy Wasilla, Alaska, to a national TV spotlight, and how she uses fitness, community, and a bold spirit to redefine aging.

You’ll learn why movement matters, how friendships support longevity, and what The Golden Bachelor gets right about older adults. Diane also opens up about her training routines, motivation after loss, and why looking good is still a valid goal.

🏒 Guest: Diane Firmani

Bio:
Diane Firmani is a 71-year-old athlete and Alaskan native who competes in triathlons, plays women’s hockey, and recently appeared on The Golden Bachelor. She embodies what it means to age boldly and actively.

🔹 Episode Outline

Sign Up and Show Up

  • Diane's motto for life and staying active in Alaska’s cold, dark winters

Behind the Scenes of The Golden Bachelor

  • Why she auditioned, how she got picked, and what filming was really like

Fitness, Friendship, and Motivation

  • The role of like-minded women in keeping each other accountable and moving

Competing in Hawaii

  • How she trains for triathlons year-round despite harsh weather

20 Years of Women’s Hockey

  • Organizing the annual Sea Cup tournament and staying competitive at 70+

Representing Alaska on National TV

  • How her appearance resonated with audiences — and what she told the Bachelor himself!

📚 Resources Mentioned:

🎤 Host: Jay Croft
Jay helps fitness professionals reach the over-50 market with content that connects and converts. Learn more at https://primefitcontent.com

📱 Follow Jay:

📥 Contact: jay@primefitcontent.com

👍 Rate the show on Apple Podcasts 
 📬 Join the email list – https://primefitcontent.com

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SPEAKER_00:

My motto is sign up and show up. Like with everything, it's a choice. You know, you can be miserable or you can get out there and enjoy it, especially in a cold, dark environment.

SPEAKER_01:

Last night, ABC TV aired the finale of this year's Golden Bachelor. And I want to read something that will set up this episode of Optimal Aging about the show. It's from the introduction of an article on Slate.com that I read last month by writer Hilary Frey. Here it is. About 10 minutes into the new season of The Golden Bachelor, we meet Diane, a little slip of a lady in a thin-strapped red gown with a spiky silver pixie cut, big brown eyes, and shoulders to die for. The 71-year-old, one of 23 women cast on the second season of the franchise, is there to win the heart of 66-year-old Golden Bachelor Mel Owens, a former linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams and a Detroit native. I keep thinking about her and something she said during her mini close-up. As producers let us glimpse a bit of the real lives of these older women looking for love. As cameras capture Diane playing ice hockey, hiking, and road biking, she explains, I like to stay active. You gotta stay busy in Alaska, you gotta keep moving. That's another thing with aging, you know. Move it or lose it. That's right, Diane. We gotta move it or lose it. Hi, everybody. Welcome to Optimal Aging, the show for fitness, health, and well-being professionals who want to reach more people over 50. I'm your host, Jay Croft of Prime Fit Content. Now, this slate article goes on to point out that most of the women on the show this season were also physically fit and active, probably because the Golden Bachelor himself requested that the producers bring on women who were fit and active and in good physical condition. He also said some other things about what he was looking for in a mate that got him into some hot water even before the show aired. And we'll get to that in a moment. Now, when I read this slate article, I decided to call Diane, Diane Fermani, who happens to be a family friend all the way up in Wasilla, Alaska. I've known Diane for years, and she's very close with one of my sisters. In fact, they play on a women's hockey team together and compete in triathlons in Hawaii. I'd known Diane was going to be on the show, of course, but this article connected the dots and gave me a reason to interview her for this show. I'm fascinated by the idea of a bachelor franchise for older folks. And especially when they're breaking even more stereotypes about active aging and staying engaged in life and putting your best self out there for everyone to see. You know, when you add physical fitness as a component of that. Diane is a delight. And I know you will get a lot out of this, whether you're a fan of reality TV or just enjoy meeting amazing people and hearing about their inspiring lifestyles. As the slate writer put it, this season is doing something different from simply showing older adults feeling good about themselves. They are feeling good in their bodies as they move, as they age. It's a subtle but new twist in this season. It's going to keep me watching and keep me inspired. Here's my chat with Diane. Diane, my friend, hello, how are you?

SPEAKER_00:

Hello, Jay. I'm great. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01:

I'm doing great. It's lovely to see you. It's been a it's been a while since we've since we've uh enjoyed each other's company.

SPEAKER_00:

That's right. That's right. It's been it was last time you were here in Alaska, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and that's been a few years. It was um, I don't know, three years ago, I guess. I'm I'm overdue for a visit. I want to talk to you about a great many things, and I guess the time peg or the news peg for our conversation is the Golden Bachelor. What I want to talk to you about is you know, you are incredibly athletic and fit and active, and I love all the things that you do. You you participate in triathlons, you and my sister are on a women's hockey team up there in Alaska. You ride that the the thick tire bicycles through the snow.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh-huh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

You know, you're just amazing. And and I don't think you would mind sharing your age.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I'm 71.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Right. So then I saw online somewhere an article in an online publication about the women who are on the Golden Bachelor. This is, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong about this, I'm aware of the Golden Bachelor, but I don't know every little thing about it. This is the second season of The Golden Bachelor, and in which everyone is yeah, mature, what, over 50, over 60, something like that, right?

SPEAKER_00:

One girl was 59, the rest were 60, and the oldest woman was 77.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. And this is a spin-off of The Bachelor, which has been going on for many years, but with people in their 20s, probably. And so the producers or the network or whoever decided a couple of years ago to expand it to our market of older folks.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, right, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Which I I guess why not? Sure. And then so I loved when I heard that you were going on the show, very exciting. And then um I read this article that talked about how you're not the only very fit athletic woman on this show. And I thought, okay, I've got to get Diane on optimal aging because here you have Diane and all these other women went on this show shattering one set of stereotypes about how women of a certain age are quote unquote supposed to act regarding dating or being widowed or sexuality or whatever.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01:

And then and now you're doing with this other one because you're not the only one who's really fit. You've got a bunch of other women on there who are who are athletic. So I want to hear about what you're doing, why it's important to you to stay in shape, and then what what the you know what kind of experiences you had there in California when you went down and met all these other women.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, let me I'll start off in the beginning. In the beginning, you're you're um you're sequestered, you don't see the other women at first. You only do some uh little footage and they dress you, and you know, some for the commercials and this and that. So you're by yourself, and then the one night you walk in and there's a big room all full of the women. That's the first time you get to see one another. And I look around, I was like, Oh, I'm screwed. Yeah, they were gorgeous, and not just gorgeous, not you know, they were glamorous. Uh, the clothes, they're you know, I felt a little wasilla-ish, you know, but everyone was fit, everyone looked great. There was no moo moos, you know what I mean? No no flowing jackets covering stuff like we like to do here in Alaska a lot. They were out there, uh arms showing, low cut, figure, you know, form fitting, gorgeous, gorgeous, just really eye-catching.

SPEAKER_02:

What a bunch of women.

SPEAKER_00:

Wow. Okay. So right off the bat, I knew, wow, I'm there's uh, I don't want to say competitors because we that wasn't that was part of it for some of us, for some of them to be real competitive, but that there was a big strong bond of sisterhood. I was like, whoa, this is a great bunch of women. And I'm I'm it I'm in it.

SPEAKER_01:

So yeah, you're not just in it, you're you're you are stunning, you know, your physique. I almost said body, and that's that's kind of I don't probably inappropriate to say. I don't know, but you know, you look great, and you're super athletic and super fit. So I think you probably fit in just beautifully. Actually, I saw the show, the episodes that you were on, and you did. You you looked great, you fit in great. Um, and I was just really interested that oh gosh, this what does this say about us as our generation of people getting older? Look at Diane and all of these other women, they're so fit, they're not dressed like old ladies.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh no, not at all, not at all. And you know, I looked around and a lot of those gals looked like they were 40, 50, you know. They and and a lot of people said, Oh, they probably had work or they had this and that and the other. Maybe, but it was good work. Yeah, they looked, I'm telling you, yeah, they looked very good. No one looked, uh, I didn't think, uh, overdone or too full of lips, or yeah, it was they were they were sharp. And it seemed like everyone worked out, not that was a big topic, you know, of our discussions was what do you do? You know, a lot of uh everyone was active, they hiked, they walked, a couple gals ran a little bit. I was the only one that competed in anything that did triathlons, but um they like oh yeah, I took some notes here so I wouldn't forget. One one lady, Debbie, she was she owned, she was the uh beach body franchise in Michigan, the videos, you know, back in it was uh a few years ago, and people in Wasilla saw her on the show and they're like, that was my beach body lady. I have her videos, you know. Oh, yeah, she put me through the the, you know, she worked me out years ago, so she's been at it for a long time, and she was just a fit little body, you know. Um see what else what is uh Nicole was a yoga instructor, you know, they're all all varieties, and it wasn't just a bunch of runners, it wasn't like a running camp. Nicole was a yoga instructor, and after the show, she went to Bali for uh yoga instruction. You know, it was the real deal. Um uh Alex from uh she's from Columbia, living in Florida. She had uh pictures of she went hiking in Egypt. You know, who does that? Well, Alex does, right? A variety, really cool stuff. One lady, her daughter is uh uh tennis pro. She just finished playing at Wimbledon, and and her mom played also, not to that level, but she's also a player. Um, one of the ladies on Instagram or TikTok posted a picture. She just played pickleball with uh Diana Nayad. Wow, I know, right? Yeah. So active women in all all varieties, a little bit of everything.

SPEAKER_01:

So what what was the conversation? What were the conversations like? What did they reveal about why now I know this is not a like some just random pool of women, these are you know a certain type of person who who wants to go on TV and and who has the presence of you know uh to to audition, go through the process and all of that. Yet I'm curious what kind of common motivations or themes there were, and a bunch of 60 something women talking about their workouts.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I think it started with Mel, you know, the Golden Bachelor. He he's you know, he he said some things that he that he later regretted, you know, about the age range he was interested in. He's like 45 to 60, but I think he he learned that that uh you didn't have to worry about that. Those 60-year-old women were pretty hot. Um but he said he wanted fit women. So and that's I think that's okay to to state as uh you know, if you want to date somebody, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, yeah. So um he stated that, so I think, and this is just my my thinking, that the producers looked for women that were fit and active. So they checked that box off because all the women were. Um we talked about like someone would say, uh um talk about hiking, you know, and I talked about, you know, we take the dogs and go for a hike or a run. And then, oh, and then oh, I I I live in Colorado, one lady, and I love to go hiking. Oh, one lady was a motocross, she likes, oh, I ride my bike. I like to ride my motocross bike, you know, for however many miles. So it would just kind of uh popcorn off, you know. Someone would talk about something, bring something up. They had a little workout area there, but not real heavy weights. So some of the the the show when they videoed the ladies are like you know, the weights weren't real heavy. I kind of thought, dang it, I wish they would add some, you know, because they later on on Instagram and and uh uh Facebook and TikTok, you'd see them working out in the gym. And it wasn't just yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, just uh what do you think? Can we what I I don't want to try to make too much out of this, but I think it's interesting that you've got this major television network doing a show uh with a bunch of fit older women who are being who are being not exactly sexualized, but in a sexual situation. And I wonder, you know, what what does that make you think about how we're changing uh the way we age and the way we present ourselves the older we get and the concerns for our health, you know, the the all of that. Did did was any of that discussed or did it make you think anything along those lines?

SPEAKER_00:

It just it was just a common common thread there, and everyone just accepted it. It wasn't, you know, sometimes when when I'm with like different groups here, they're like, You did a triathlon, you know, but these like-minded people are like, oh that's cool. What how'd you you know, what's what do you train? How do you do it? Where do you go? It was um it wasn't it was a big deal, everyone was proud of me and stuff, but it it was um accepted. Everybody, everybody's physically fit here, and they ever has their their workouts. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I think so. Um, because yeah, I know when I'm with when when I'm with other men my age who go to the gym and take care of themselves, no big deal. They might say something, oh you look good, or oh, how much you this or that? But but then when you are with other people who who don't, you know, it they they make more of a thing about it. Um, so yeah, yeah, yeah, you get that. Same thing.

SPEAKER_00:

Um and let me add to that, what sorry, that's a that's a good thing for uh being a physically fit older person or is having like-minded friends, you know, friends that go to the gym, friends that um that'll say, Are you going to are you are you playing hockey Sunday? Yeah, I think so. I'll pick you up, you know, that's or I'll meet you there. You know, those are those are great motivators, and that that keeps me going too. Is that is having friends that do the same thing, like-minded friends, and that's how that bunch of women were, you know, like-minded as far as fitness and and being active. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_01:

It does. Okay. What what are some other things that um that you thought of regarding all of that? Because that's a really good piece of advice. What I'm hoping that this episode can do for people is in addition to hearing about your interesting lifestyle and this adventure you went on, is what kind of lessons can people get on how to be fit at our age? And that's a really good one, right? To have to do this with other people, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

You got anything else like that that that people should keep in mind?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, I do. Um, another thing that that I do and our my buddies here, we sign up for stuff, you know. Are you are you doing the um like the lava man? That's the triathlon in in um triathlon that we do in Hawaii. I do with uh we usually two other women. Sometimes now we've got some newcomers and a couple of the women are bringing their daughters, your sister. Uh but are you doing Lava Man? Oh, I don't know. Are you? Yeah, I signed up. Well, guess what I'm doing? You know, I'm getting signed up too. I don't want to miss anything, you know, FOMO, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

But um, yeah, if you do it with people, so my my motto is sign up and show up. Because I do have a couple of friends that'll sign up for stuff, but they'll they'll miss it. They won't go, oh, something came up, or I, you know, some other plans. So sign up and show up, whether it's a 5k, a hockey game, um yeah, is a commitment to yourself and especially if you have others that are going too that that are depending on you, and it's it's a lot more fun too when you've got other give me one more. Uh let's see. Okay, this sounds kind of shallow, but um, you look good. Yeah, you know, you look good. Uh it's more fun for clot, you know, to buy clothes to um to go places, you have that confidence. Um but the shopping is a lot of fun. That's I enjoy that. And it's hard up here because a lot of that we do is online.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So um but you recently went to your son's wedding. Yeah. And so I uh, you know, that's a I don't I don't know what it was like, but those can be very stressful situations, right? And probably helped to know that you were looking good, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Right, right. It was kind of like, oh yeah, it's okay, you look all right. You know, I went to the beach a couple times, it was in Hawaii, and whoa, a lot of skin, a lot of butts, you know. Yeah, yeah, whoa. But um it just I just had to be confident within myself that that uh I looked okay in my swimsuit.

SPEAKER_01:

I didn't, you know, I look I didn't look too awfully bad, and there's you you look spectacular, and there's nothing wrong with that. You said this is gonna sound kind of shallow, but you know, I think that that feeling good about how you look is important. It goes into your motivation, it encourages you to eat better, to sleep better, to go to the gym more, to stay current in your um looks. And I don't mean shopping according like you're 25 years old, but I mean it shows in how you carry yourself and how you present yourself to the world.

SPEAKER_00:

Fact.

SPEAKER_01:

It's important. I think that's a an important part of vitality. And this word vitality really resonates with me when I when I think about you and also these other women, I guess. I mean, I don't, of course, I don't know them, but to be this engaged in life and to take care of yourself so much and to have the putzba to go on the TV show. I can't even imagine, you know, that's you got a lot of energy, you got a lot of confidence, right?

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So why how how does being so fit and active play into that generally? You know, maybe regarding the show, or maybe just just generally, you know, you you live in Wasilla, Alaska, which for anyone who doesn't know is a uh bedroom community about an hour north of Anchorage. Um, and it can be very, very cold there and very dark there for much of the year. It's also spectacularly beautiful. And um, not everyone is fit and active like you. A lot of people are overweight and drink too much, and yeah, you know, talking about it.

SPEAKER_00:

And that's easy to do.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I know. I lived there for 30 years. I know how that's right, that's right.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I'm preaching to the choir here. Well, like, like with everything, it's a choice, you know. And and it's um it's this may sound extreme, but you can be miserable or you can get out there and enjoy it, especially in a cold dark environment. And back to the like-minded friends. I've got some friends at Fat Tire Bike, you know, they uh in the winter. Would I go out by myself? Oh no, you know, no, no, no. But um, if someone will say, We're we're uh we're biking the I did a ride trail. We go on the dog team trails that that are groomed. Uh, what time? Where are we meeting? I'm not gonna miss out on that fun. So that helps. So we meet and go. And another thing back to the fashion, what are you wearing? What's what's the what keeps you warm? If you're warm, you're fine. You know, it makes it so much more enjoyable. Um, oh, that's a those are cute tights. Where'd you get those? That that all I like that part too. You know, I got a nice bike too. That helps too. So um, yeah, just get out there, make plans, make plans with the women to go biking, hockey team. I'm on the hockey team. I swim, you know, I and if you don't go, people like missed you at the pool. Yeah, I saw a lady last night. I was helping with the elections. Yeah, uh, I see you. Aren't you the one I see at the pool? I said, Yeah, you know, and of course, the old swimmer joke. I you look, what do we say? Um, I've never seen you with clothes on, you know, because I know it's so bad, but we use it every time.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow, so yeah, it's a classic. It's a classic, that's for a reason. The the classics endure.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh-huh. For sure. For sure.

SPEAKER_01:

So in Alaska, let's talk about everything that you do. You and my my sister and some of your other friends uh train. Do you have to train year-round for the for the Hawaii triathlon, which is I think in like March or something?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, March. Usually, yeah, usually, usually around April, April Fool's Day, usually around there. That's okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh-huh. I'm not saying anything about that. No, yeah. So do you train all year? Do you go running when it's 20 below out? What's what's what kind of what's your training program like for that?

SPEAKER_00:

I run less. I used to run that. Used to be my sport, you know, and not I was never really fast, but I was always pretty consistent, you know, slow and steady kind of turtle girl, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

But I run less because my knees started hurting. And there's other things you can do, you don't have to just run. So and I was I got a couple cortisone shots, and I thought, you know, yeah. So that's I I incorporate more swimming. Um, Shelly and Sammy, they have their bikes up on trainers in their house. And I need to do I like to go to spin class, that's my favorite. So that's what I do for biking. I go to swim, uh, spin, swim. Um, I need to do more treadmill. You know, every every year I need to do a little, I have that self-talk. I need to improve on some things and not be happy with just the minimum. And the other girls, you know, and they spur me on. They they uh they got Pelotons this year, those two. So no, I'm like, I think I might need a Peloton, you know. I gotta keep it.

SPEAKER_01:

I think you better get one, Diane.

SPEAKER_00:

I gotta be in the club, Jay. You gotta be, yeah, yeah, for sure. Wow, so don't I yes, yes and no training year round, and then as it gets closer, then we you know we have a get a little training plan online and try and follow that.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, okay, and then you have the um C cup. Tell the folks about this hockey C cup.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you've heard of the Stanley Cup, sure. We have the C Cup, you know, our women's hockey team, right? It's uh this is our 20th year. Can you believe it?

SPEAKER_01:

It's a long time. That's great.

SPEAKER_00:

We have the C cup, and it's uh um it's a we have it, we uh Sammy Shelley and I and our team are we call ourselves the hockey sisters, we put it on, and we have teams from all over the state. We have nine teams, Fairbanks, uh Delta, Healy, some of the like we have the Healy Cole Queens, because that's they used to, yeah, yeah. Uh Soldatna, Inchridge, and of course us, the um hockey sisters. It is is big and it's so much fun. And the first couple of years, since it was the C Cup to play off of that, we had broad decorating contests, you know, which were they're not only these women great hockey players, they're very clever, very funny. My favorite one was the Obama, you know, the the Obama Brahma, you can't.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And yeah, it was a lot of fun. We've we've kind of gotten away from that, kind of played that out. And but this year, since it's the 20th anniversary, we're we're promoting that big. I have a uh a grizzly bear, a nine-foot bear mount of my husband's, and we haul that over to the to the ice rink and dress it up accordingly. And last year we had the C cup, S E A Cup, like okay the C. And so we dressed up the bear as a mermaid.

SPEAKER_01:

Sure.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it was very attractive, it was so cool. So, just a little added bonus, a little added fun to that. Good picture opportunity.

SPEAKER_01:

I have to rewind. I don't think most people listening to this will have never heard someone say what you just said. I have a nine-foot grizzly bear. Why in the world do you have a nine-foot grizzly bear in your house?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, Dave, my my my late husband, yeah, this was his bear. He went hunting for they were hunting for caribou, and it's a long story. He could tell it so much better. Yeah, and every time he told it, it got better.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_00:

Guys, yeah. Um, so he shot this bear, and our deal was he wanted to get a standing mount, you know, a stand, yeah. So I told him our deal was he could get a standing mount if I could dress it up. So yeah, he agreed. So we did, and he couldn't get one of these. I didn't want him to get one of those mounts, you know. He had to so the bears kind of like you're kind of cool, yeah. Just hanging out, yeah, chilling here. Cup, right?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So we put that on the back of Shelly's flatbed truck and haul it over to Palmer and set her up and dress him up.

SPEAKER_01:

So at this C Cup, you've got what hundreds of women from all over the state of Alaska come and play hockey for the weekend. Hundreds of women playing hockey. That's just amazing, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02:

It is, it is.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, I don't think there are any age limits on it. You've got younger women participating, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Right. It's 18 and it's the same rules as our Anchorage Hockey League, 18 and above.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. Okay, but a lot of you are over 40, over 50.

SPEAKER_00:

Above, yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah. There's two of us on our team that are in our 70s, and uh some of the ladies are 60s. We got a couple young ones, but um yeah, I don't are they I don't think is it 18 and over? I don't think they're old enough to play in the C COM.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00:

We could use them though.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, what am I missing of all that you do up there?

SPEAKER_00:

Let's see, fat tire, swim, hike, uh, bike. Oh, yeah, I've got a nice road bike now, too.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

So I I like to ride that. I my brother for my birthday for my 70th, he took me to Sicily and we rode our bikes around Sicily.

SPEAKER_01:

Nice tour.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh fun. It was really cool.

SPEAKER_01:

Now, Diane, you've always been active, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Kinda, you know, off and on.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, tell me about that because you're extraordinarily active now, and you have been for at least as long as I've known you. So, what was the journey there? Like you had two kids, and you know, you had a career and you know, all these things. So why did you become so devoted to act activity, physical activity?

SPEAKER_00:

Um well, I think it's and this I I bet it's the same for a lot of women or people. Um, my weight, my weight. I've always battled my weight. And if I'm not active, I'm I'm it's it's I'm pretty black and white. If I'm not working out, I'm sitting on the couch, yeah, you know, like vegging, you know, with a bag of something in my lap, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so believe me.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh yeah. So um battling my weight is the is the big one. Um my kids are were active and are active. They still are. I've got a um jujitsu guy, both of them played hockey. My son's getting ready for, he's gonna train for an Iron Man, my older son. And when they were playing hockey, I thought, you know, we'd I'd sit in the stands with the moms and we'd talk, you know, blah, blah, blah. And I thought, God, if I were moving as much as my kids were, so I started, you know, walking and and and around the gym, around the um at the rink, you know, doing some and doing some running and and just kind of picking up the pace there. So that helped. And off and on, I've I've done my couch time, believe me.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Trying to keep it under 200 pounds, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, please, you're nowhere near 200 pounds. So I'm just always interested in the why, you know, why people do what they do, and particularly why people our age stay in shape or get in shape. Uh either one.

SPEAKER_00:

And it's a fun group of friends that that are active, my active friends, you know. They're they're fun to be around. They're they're smart, they're I you know, I hate to paint a broad brush, but they're they're smart, they read, um and our common interests.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Okay. Fair enough. So how did you Had a changing subjects a little bit. I want to get back to the to the to the golden bachelor. Okay. You know, you're a long way from television industry, and and you're not someone who has ever been in show business, as far as I know. And so what the heck made you think I'm gonna go on that show?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I have some um I'm in a little reading group called the Yayas. It's a bunch of teachers, and they were one night they're like, Dan, you should try out, you should, you should do it. You'd be great. And I was oh no, no, no, no, no, not me, you know. But it planted in my head, and it was one of those uh dark, cold wasilla nights on the couch, and I thought, why not? Maybe I'll give it a try. So I Googled it and then got the application and put that in, and that got got things rolling. And I really didn't think they were gonna pick me or even call me. And they did. So I just went through the process. It was a long process, it took about six months, you know. You know Zoom interviews and and uh you know, background checks, just what you would expect, but they they vet you pretty well. Yeah, I'd never been on a Zoom call before, so I had to get on, I had to go buy a laptop and figure all that out. I get they said, uh, we suggest a ring lamp. I'm like, what the hell is that? So I went to Walmart and got ring lamp. Yeah, so I did all the things and and uh they were interested, and so I I put it out there, and uh yeah, it was so exciting to get picked to think that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, well, how many people did they who how many people applied? Did they ever tell you?

SPEAKER_00:

They said I I I read somewhere they said and the ladies there, we talked about it a lot, you know. 20,000.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh golly, and they picked what 30 or so?

SPEAKER_00:

23, 23.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh golly, Diane.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, did they ever just to let you know, because that's that's already been on. I made it through one one rose ceremony, but not the second.

SPEAKER_01:

Hey, you so what?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh it was fine. That was that was good.

SPEAKER_01:

I don't I knowing you as I do, I don't think you went on that show with the idea that you were gonna win, right? That you were gonna get your husband there, and then you were all those other women better back off. You're you're not like that, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, no, not like that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so what was the goal? What did you want out of it?

SPEAKER_00:

Just an adventure or what your experience, you know. I haven't my Dave Dave died four years ago, it's been four, and he was sick for a long, long time before that. But I just thought might be time, you know. And if you're gonna get out there, I I did it in a big way for sure. Yes, you did. Yeah, I skipped match.com and went right to Hollywood, right? But yeah, I just thought it would be fun. And you know, I've I've done two um kind of wild hair things in my life, and one was moving here to Alaska, and the second was trying out for the Golden Bachelor. And the first one worked out well, and I think the second one has too.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, tell me about the experience. Was it fun? Was it exciting? Was it a pain in the neck? What was it like?

SPEAKER_00:

All the all the above. Yeah, all the above, yeah. Um, a lot of the women had a real strong presence, you know, and they were this sounds right. They were tall, they're a lot of tall women, and they always seem like they always wore kind of little high heels, some kitten heels and some uh pumps or wedges, and you know, here I am in my birken stocks, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

They always and their their clothing was great, they strong presence, you know. So a couple times I'd kind of like find myself behind the palm tree where I'm comfortable, and then my little inner voice was like, You signed up for this, Diane. Get out there, you know. This is what you yeah, this is what you signed up for. So I kind of worked my way to the front and like we were dancing. So I gave a little make a little law, make do a little dance, you know. I got in there, yeah. Self-talk, so yeah, it was it. So that part was a little frightening, a little uncomfortable sometimes, but um, once again, that inside voice, just be yourself, just show them what you got, and I did. And it worked, I think it worked well.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, you had a good time, you had an adventure. You sounds like you've made some friends.

SPEAKER_00:

I did, I did, and met some different people, you know. The a lot of the women were different. We had dentists, uh, CEO. Um one lady owned a uh, she was the owner of a uh like an assisted living place. She and her it, you know, smart women, successful women, and microbiologists. And they're like, and what do you do? Well, I work at the library, but you know, I'm happy with that. So hey, I I know I don't I didn't mean that to sound like you know, I'm a bimbo, but it was I it was all different, different walks of life, right?

SPEAKER_01:

You know, I I I understand sometimes I'm in those situations and I think, wow, right, right. I'm just some writer, what do I know? And all these people around you are have multiple degrees and big titles, and yeah, have written best-selling books and all of that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Speaking of books, I do own your book, but go on.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, but have you read it?

SPEAKER_00:

Parts. Parts, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, good enough. I'll take it. I'll take parts. Actually, no, I want to say just getting it is good enough, Diane. You got it and you sent me a picture of it, and I was very touched. So thank you for that. Oh, you're very much. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was that was great. You know, you're you're you you and others like you are really kind of at the core of why I do what I do, um, because it's so important. Not that people run triathlons in Hawaii, not that they play hockey when they're in their 70s. That's not what I mean. But just that they're vital and that they're engaged and that they're healthy, and that they when they when they come off of a tough spell, as you did a few years ago, not to minimize your husband's death as a tough spell, but you know what I mean. You went through a difficult, life-changing experience, and and then you said, Okay, back back back back to it. This might be fun. I want to see what this is like, and you did it, and a lot of people don't. So that's why I wanted to to have you on here and talk about this and you know, maybe get a little dish. I feel like I didn't, I didn't really didn't really get any inside dirt on Hollywood, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_00:

I'll just I'll wait to look to me for Hollywood dirt.

SPEAKER_01:

I'll I'll I'm talking about Wasilla dirt, though.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, give me some Wassilla dirt. What you got?

SPEAKER_00:

I got nothing.

SPEAKER_01:

I got I know. I you know, every time I say I have family in Wasilla, you know, they still think about you know who. I was like, will we ever stop thinking about her?

SPEAKER_00:

That's it.

SPEAKER_01:

Only once. Maybe it is fading away. It isn't that be nice, uh yeah. Well, good. I think you're a much better representative of Wasilla and uh and awesome women from Alaska.

SPEAKER_00:

So Well, thanks, Jay.

SPEAKER_01:

Here's to you, Diane. Hey, are you a fitness professional trying to grow your business with people over 50? If you are, then you need to know how to communicate with them, how to market to them, and how to get them to trust you with their fitness, well-being, and money. We're talking about millions of people who are a little older than the typical market that the fitness industry usually pursues. They have more money, more time, and better motivation to make the best long-term fitness consumers you'll find anywhere. If you're not focusing on them, you should be.content.com. That's prime, like prime of your life, fitcontent.com. Back to the show.

SPEAKER_00:

My son got married, and at the same time I was getting ready for Golden Bachelor, he was getting, you know, they're getting their wedding stuff together. And I'm on this Facebook group for Mothers of the Groom. And they yeah, it was fun. It was, you know, group chat, and they talked about um what to wear and flattering clothes that take pictures, but it seemed like a big theme was they all wanted to cover their arms, you know. Oh, I don't like my arms to show. You know, I does that dress come with long sleeves, or should I wear maybe a a stole over it so my arms don't show? And then I get all the golden bachelor. Everyone has sleeveless on, everyone had tank tops, yeah. They were, you know, and showing off their biceps. And so that was that was a big difference. Not that one's bad or and one's good, it was just a different, um, different take on things, you know, different, different type of woman, I thought. So that was cool, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

That is interesting, and and you're both. You're the the mother of the groom and uh and the sleeveless on TV.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, and then at hockey, there's a you know, we have such a great team, such a great bunch of women, and one lady, she and her family watched the show, and she's got a little 10-year-old boy, he's just a doll. He's so much fun. And they watched the first one where I got the rose, and she said that he cheered, yay, Diane, you know, and then he looked at his mom and he said, Does this mean Mel will be at the game tomorrow? Yeah, no, no, sorry, good. And they they brought um, no one's ever done this before, they brought snacks to the game. The family did, which was really cool. And he was passing out snacks at the end of the game to to Scales. And I came through the locker room door and he came up to me and he said, Diane, will you accept this ice cream sandwich?

SPEAKER_01:

What'd you say, Diane?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, oh hell yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Hell yeah, kid, give me that ice cream.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, it was good. I I deserve it, but just the and then I worked elections last night, and a lot of people were like, Oh, I saw you on TV, you know, like I'm I'm some big deal. That that made me feel so good. And uh what the one that I got a lot of that I loved was you represented us well, you did you you you represented Alaska well.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, you did, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, if nothing else, oh, and that was one of my goals to represent Alaska, and the other goal was not to embarrass my children, you know, not to be rolling around in the sand making out with this guy because that yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I don't know, I don't know your boys, but uh I I'm sure they appreciate that. As yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, oh, I did want to ask you one thing about that I saw on the show where you you laid into that guy quite a bit. So what did you what kind of response did you get to that? Well, tell everybody what you said to him and then tell me what the response was.

SPEAKER_00:

That he only wanted women on the show from 45 to 60, right? And um, well, he got a lot of backlash, and I thought and I didn't like it either, you know, and I thought it needed to be addressed. And with the blessing of the producer, you know, we because I talked to her, they were really cool, by the way. Um, when I came out, I and I practiced and practiced it, and I said, Mel, I'm I'm Diane from Bostil, Alaska, and I play women's hockey. And I said, What the puck were you thinking with that podcast comment? And I practiced it a bunch so I wouldn't, you know, slip or anything. And then I had a little witty thing to say after that, but he his face just dropped. He was like, Oh, he said, Diane, I'm or something to this effect. I'm so sorry, you know. I that was not, I was it was unkind, it wasn't thought out, I shouldn't have said that. It was wrong. You know, he just fell on the sword, basically. And that kind of took me aback, you know. Then I think I maybe nervous giggled a little bit, and then he's like, What do you think the ladies will forgive me? And I'm like, Yeah, yeah, sure, you know. So they thought, what was my other line? And then I said, But stick with me, Mel, and I'll I'll keep you out of the penalty box.

SPEAKER_01:

Out of the penalty box.

SPEAKER_00:

They like that hockey uh reference. So I went with that, but yeah, he was real. And then when he went into the room where all us women were waiting after he met everybody, his first thing he said was what the puck, which was hilarious. I was like, that's my line. And then once again, he apologized profusely to all the women. So and he did throughout the show a few times, and like I said, I think I think he was proven wrong because uh over 60 those women proved him wrong. They were great, hot, good looking, intelligent. All the boxes.

SPEAKER_01:

All the boxes, yeah. Well, just like you.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, thanks.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, Diane, thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, thanks. You made me feel like a like a um big something or other, big big kahuna. Yeah, I love it. Go on, thank you. All right, bye.

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Jay Croft

Host