What is this? What is Strong99?
Read the Manifesto
Strong99 is
a newsletter to publish ideas and resources about how to thrive longer in life, not just live longer.
a movement to help people become stronger and more flexible mentally, spiritually, and physically over a lifetime.
a community for you to share your successes and failures in committing to a life of purpose.
here to help you live a life of purpose and through that lift up others around you.
This is a newsletter where you’ll receive articles, reviews of books/podcast episodes/videos/articles, and other online resources that boost our knowledge of living a long, purposeful life.
We are all capable of so much more than we think. Strong99 is my way of spreading that message around the world.
Why? What does this have to do with me?
People are living longer. Over the last 200 years average life expectancy has improved drastically. Most of the initial gains were because more children made it through infancy, but now most of the gains - and most of the expected gains - are from declining late-life mortality.
You have a great chance of living longer than your parents did.
But what good does that do you if the last 30 years are spent financially bereft, friendless, fat, and frail in front of a television?
Guess what? It’s imperative that you aim higher. I need you to. You need you to. The world needs you to.
Think “President Carter building houses for Habitat for Humanity at 95 years old”.
Think “Sister Madonna Buder finishing an Ironman at 82 years old” or “Ed Whitlock running a sub 3-hour marathon at 74”.
Think “Pablo Picasso, still a prolific artist at 91” or “Tom Wolfe writing novels in his 80’s”.
Are you thinking you’ll just stay the same, have a career, and then everything will be better once you retire?
It won’t. Aim higher. Step away from comfort. Live a life of purpose. Be your own hero and a hero to others.
What if you start living a life today that supports you for your whole life?
Who is Brad?
I’m a 54 year old software engineer by trade, husband of 27 years to the creative force that is Dr. Minette Riordan, father of two amazing people who are on their journey through life, Canadian, Buddhist, musician, aspiring writer, and 3-time Ironman finisher. Minette and I live in Loveland, Colorado and in my life I’ve lived in the Santa Barbara area, the DFW Metroplex, the Bay Area, Vancouver BC, Kofu Japan, Ottawa ON, and Halifax NS.
When I’m not creating or fixing things I’m running, biking, swimming, lifting, hiking, rucking, or walking.
In April, 2022, I took the following vow:
I vow that every day I will
Be disciplined, keep my promises, take action, practice self-compassion, and do things that light me up,
In order to
Become wiser, healthier, stronger, more flexible, and bring my best self to the world,
So that
I am kind to everyone, I inspire others to succeed, and I leave the world a better place than I found it.
My vow and the Strong99 movement are my aspirations: I hope you will join me and spread the word to others that need to hear it.
