Operation Hope: Alzheimer’s? Dementia? Cognitive Decline? 8 Pillars to Healthier, Stronger, Longer (ePub)

Scientist, adventurer, medical professional, and internationally-known expert in healthy aging, Ann Louise Johnson is the creator and founder of WildHeart Strong LLC, which teaches people how to age fiercely—to live life as an exciting adventure and feel healthier, stronger, and more vital at every age.

For Ann, just being here is a miracle: she was one of only three children who lived after her parents’ first nine children died immediately after birth. She grew up with two driving passions: the outdoors, where she always felt at home; and science. Ann wanted to know why she had survived while those other children had died. She wanted to discover what causes people to get sick or to be healthy.

As a registered nurse for 40 years, Ann worked both sides of the 911 call. “As a critical care nurse in trauma and intensive care units, I worked with accident victims and people with life-threatening (and often life-ending) illnesses,” she says. “But eventually I wanted to see if I could keep people out of the ER by helping them stay healthier longer.” She accepted a position in one of the largest retirement communities in Pennsylvania, eventually becoming the director. It was there that an encounter with a 90-year-old warrior inspired Ann’s groundbreaking research into successful aging.

Ann discovered the difference between those who ended up incapacitated and in nursing homes and those who were still running marathons in their 80s was physical, mental, and emotional fitness. She was first in her area to work with hundreds of people ages 60-90 to strengthen their muscles as well as their minds and attitudes, helping them reverse the effects of aging and live healthier, longer, stronger lives. Her results led her to speak at medical and professional conferences all over the world.

In 2011 Ann founded WildHeart Strong, a company to help people change the way they age and rewrite the last half of life’s story from the fear of aging to aging fiercely. Ann uses the