Edith "Chickie" Rosenberg, The Snowboarding Grandma

The next time you even think about saying "I'm too old for that," consider 72-year-old snowboarding instructor Edith "Chickie" Rosenberg.

A former high school teacher from New Jersey, Rosenberg didn't get on her first snowboard until she was 50. 50! (She hated the cold for one thing.) By her own account, that first ride stank, but it's all been uphill, so to speak, since then. Today she teaches pupils of all ages and skill levels on her home slopes of Killington, Vermont, and has even gotten a nationally televised shout-out from Shaun White.

How does she stay this fit and active at an age when other colleagues are... shuffleboarding? Healthy eating (nothing deep-fried), low-impact cardio (walk a block, run a block), and, yes, plenty of snowboarding. "What do I do all summer?" she asks. "I wait for winter."

HER SECRET TO TRYING NEW THINGS: Find an instructor who's not your friend. "When friends teach friends, they don't remember how frightened or nervous they were when they first started. What seems simple to them is actually complicated."

HER ADVICE FOR TOUGH TIMES: "Don't listen to that little voice inside that says, 'I can't do this, this is too hard!' You have to believe in yourself to become confident. Never listen to negative thoughts."

THE TAKEAWAY: Focus on the process, not results. "I always tell my students, if you fall down, don't jump right up! Don't beat yourself up for doing something wrong. Instead, look around - at the sky, the mountains - and say, you know, it's really nice to be out here."