Stand Up! Life Lessons From the Silver Surfer | Kitty Pechet | TEDxBeaconStreet

Kitty's exploits on her surfboard are enough by themselves to make her stand out: she's 78 years old and still competing, against men and women, proving herself a champion in a sport she loves. Her talk was about surfing, but it was also more than that: it was about finding your happiness, standing up for what you know is right, and finding the courage to be the best version of yourself. Kitty got on a surfboard for the first time in her 50s. It changed her life, and she never looked back. She rode her board to freedom. She went on to win dozens of surfing competitions in all categories, including “men only!” Before that, she had been a staid housewife, mother, and calligrapher; suddenly, she became a free spirit. Instead of perfect little letterforms, she started creating big, wild paintings. She has exhibited in City Hall in Bermuda, the Danforth Museum in Framingham, and the deCordova Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and had solo shows at Emmanuel College and Harvard University. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx