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This dance crew of women over 40 has all of the right moves.

'I'm not just 'over the hill,' but I'm coming down that hill with speed, baby!'

True
Smirnoff

On a beautiful Saturday morning in Los Angeles, a group of women gathered together to get down.

It looked just like this.

All images from Ole Skool, used with permission.


And this. 

The moves are top-notch. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill dance crew. 

​Meet Ole Skool, the dancers for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.

These women are mothers, grandmothers, teachers, and retirees to name a few — but the common bond they all have is they're over 40 years old and are passionate about dancing. 

The fierce ladies of the Ole Skool dance crew.

News flash: No matter what the media tries to tell you, women don't expire at 40.

Are you looking for women over 40 in television or movies? Good luck with that because they are few and far between. Even though the majority of the female population in the U.S. is over 40, older men appear almost 10 times more often than women in the media. 

The ladies on the Ole Skool crew want to flip the script. Not only are they all over 40, but they're here to tell you that they're living the best years of their lives right now

Let's meet a few of them.

The baby of the crew: 42-year-old Richelle.

Richelle is a high school teacher and said that she learned to dance right around the time she learned how to walk. When she was in her 20s, she was a dancer for the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era.

Now? She's a 41-year-old mother of two with a simple message for her fellow moms:

"Show your kids that you can do anything and be anything," she said. "That will inspire them do anything and be anything, too." 

The OD (Original Dancer): 63-year-old Marilyn.

When the L.A. Sparks formed a dance team back in 2004, Marilyn was one of the original members. 12 years later, the 63-year-old grandmother is still kicking (literally). With a smile to light up any room and the personality to match, Marilyn shares her perspective on the current state of her life. 

"People say you're over the hill when you're 40," Marilyn told Upworthy. "I'm not just 'over the hill,' but I'm coming down that hill with speed, baby!" 

The daughter of a legend: 58-year-old Virginia.

To say that Virginia's background is interesting would be an understatement. She's the daughter of musical legend Johnny Guitar Watson and said she was the casting director for Prince's first small acting gig in Los Angeles. 

While growing up, she watched her dad revolutionize the music industry, and she's honored to be a part of team that's doing the same in the dance world. 

"Make today the day that you step into your dreams," Virginia told Upworthy. "At the end of the day, the only person who can tell your story is you."

The leader: 31-year-old Lindsay.

OK, so 31-year-old Lindsay's technically not a member of the team, but that's because she's the director and choreographer of the Ole Skool crew. She will be the first to admit that she was a little hesitant at first about coaching women who are old enough to be her mother, but now she understands the effect her team is having on women everywhere.

"Being around this team is one of the biggest blessings in my life," Lindsay told Upworthy. "Just by watching them, you can tell that they make the world a better place by performing and when they're out in society." 

Make no mistake about it. The Ole Skool crew are doing amazing things on the dance floor, but their most valuable contribution is reminding us that anything is possible.

The bond between these ladies is a powerful one.

In a world where people throw the word "love" around so loosely, it's great to see a group of diverse women who truly love each other. 

Their bond is forged by the intense happiness that comes from doing what they love in an environment where looks and age mean nothing (unless you're under 40, that is — then you'll have to wait your turn). 

And in reality, if we all danced more — the world would be a happier place. 

Check out the Ole Skool crew in action!

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?



Upworthy book

Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a "correct" way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

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RIP Sybil Marie Hicks

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Sybil Marie Hicks, from Baysville, Ontario, died on February 2, at the age of 81, but it'll be a long time before her name is forgotten. Her children have turned her into a posthumous celebrity after writing a hilarious first-person obituary for her that was published in The Hamilton Spectator on February 5, 2019.

According to her daughter, it was fitting tribute.

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Brielle Asero lost her job after 2 months.

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Some who saw the video thought that Asero came off as entitled and exemplified the younger generation’s lack of work ethic. In contrast, others sympathized with the young woman who is just beginning to understand how hard it is to find work-life balance in modern-day America.

“I’m so upset,” she says in the video. "I get on the train at 7:30 a.m., and I don't get home until 6:15 p.m. [at the] earliest. I don't have time to do anything!" Asero said in a video.

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I told a kid a riddle my dad told me when I was 7. His answer proves how far we've come.

This classic riddle takes on new meaning as our world changes for the better.




When I was 7, my dad told me a riddle.

"A man and his son are driving in their car when they are hit by a tractor-trailer.

Photo via iStock.

(We were driving at the time, so of course this was the riddle he decided to tell.)

The father dies instantly.

The son is badly injured. Paramedics rush him to the hospital.

Photo via iStock.

As he is being wheeled into the operating room, the surgeon takes one look the boy and says:

'I can't operate on him. He's my son.'

How is that possible?!"

Without missing a beat, I answered:

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