As the gentle waves of the Caribbean Sea lap upon the shores of Antigua’s Deep Bay Beach, Barbara Brock gingerly makes her way across the sand to the ankle-deep water. Her walker has been left behind, and she’s supported by two team members from her home at The Village of Tansley Woods, who have joined her and 10 other elders on this southern adventure.
Her life jacket makes things a little awkward as she climbs onto the back of the Sea-Doo wave runner, but with a push of effort and steady support, she is finally aboard—ready to blast out beyond the bay and see the island from a different perspective.
Barb is in her early 90s, but age is just a number. If there’s a bit of adventure to be had, she’s up for it—willing to take a few risks to soak up every ounce of energy life has to offer.
That philosophy is why the Tansley Trippers have existed for the past 12 years—and why Tansley Woods General Manager Jo-Anna Gurd puts so much energy into making these journeys happen.
“Many people who’ve been part of these trips over the years say they never thought they would be able to travel again,” Jo-Anna says. “These opportunities bring to life a sense of adventure they’ve always had, and I love being a part of it.”
Over the years, groups have travelled to England and Greece, and to several islands throughout the Caribbean—from Cuba to Curaçao. In Costa Rica, a meandering day trip took them through the jungle and across the guarded border into Nicaragua. There was no fear—a group of seniors can quickly put even a machine-gun-wielding guard at ease.
Heads turn as these ambitious travellers make their way through airports, resort grounds, or historic sites like Shirley Heights—the old fort overlooking Antigua’s National Park, where the British Navy once launched ships centuries ago.
They turn as Barb blasts across the water on a Sea-Doo, just as they did earlier when her fellow Tansley Trippers, Henry and Carole, took their turn.
Perhaps the limits we associate with aging—particularly around travel—are less about ability and more about imagination. Barb never imagined that in her 90s she’d be on this ride in the Caribbean Sea, but here she is.
“I haven’t had such fun in quite a long time,” she says with a wide smile once she returns and her life jacket is removed. Her hair is damp with salt water, her glasses speckled. Perhaps it’s true what locals in Antigua say—that the sea holds rejuvenating powers.
You can see it in Barb’s face in this moment. She is the very picture of joy.
