16 August 2023 , 14:43
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A glam 'Benjamin Button' great-gran who 'ages backwards' left people thinking she was in her 40s and was even ID-ed for booze by a stunned bartender - despite turning eighty. And the compliment is sweeter by far for Connie Meyer-Ping, from Illinois, as she was diagnosed with motor neurone disease [also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS] last year, and told she had between two to five years left to live.
Connie decided to treat the devastating news as a 'wake-up call' and start living her life to the fullest, which led the retired nurse to get dressed up in Las Vegas to mark her 80th birthday in style. Heading out with her 71-year-old hubby, Nathan Ping, the glamorous gran-of-seven flashed her thigh in a red evening gown that dramatically billowed in the breeze alongside.
Posing for photos outside iconic Las Vegas landmarks including casino hotel Paris Las Vegas, Caesars Palace and Bellagio Hotel & Casino, the pair were apparently mistaken for celebs by passersby. And after sharing the snaps online, Connie was flooded with comments from people who couldn’t believe she was 80 - with many convinced she was actually in her forties.
The great-gran says family members have compared her to Brad Pitt’s movie character Benjamin Button, as she 'ages backwards. Connie also revealed the Las Vegas photoshoot was 'exhilarating' and has urged other women to stop being 'defined by age' and instead go out and have fun. The 80-year-old fills her days with travelling, going to yoga retreats, the gym and thrill-seeking adventures such as exploring submarines and caves.
Connie's red dress photoshoot had people thinking she was less than half her age (KennedyNews/Las Vegas Flying Dresses)Discussing her heartbreaking diagnosis, Connie said: "Around 18 months ago I was given a diagnosis of ALS and they told me that I have two to five years to live, it was really a wake-up call. Me and my husband knew that we needed to do the things that we wanted to do and not put them off and procrastinate any longer.
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"It was my birthday and our anniversary was coming up and I had never been to Las Vegas. I'd been on a travel Facebook page and I saw the flying dress photoshoots and wondered if they had them there. I went online and found a photographer who was absolutely fantastic. We got to Las Vegas and I had my make-up done and they got us all ready.
"A couple of young men from Italy who looked to be in their early twenties asked to have a picture with us, I think they thought we were famous. The crowd was just ooh-ing and ah-ing and my husband and I were looking into each other's eyes and embracing, it was just so much fun.
"It was exhilarating, it was like nothing that we had ever experienced or dreamed of. I never thought about what 80 would be like. Then after I did the photoshoot, I said to my husband, 'if this is my eighties, then bring it on'. It just really showed us that it doesn't matter, you don't have to be defined by age or even any set of circumstances, you can have fun and it's so important to celebrate.
"I shared it online, and people were commenting saying that it was inspirational and asking if I was really 80 years old. I think it's awesome that people think I don't look 80. We were in Tennessee for a yoga retreat and we went to lunch and had a Bloody Mary, and the guy asked for my ID.
Connie stays active by going to the gym and yoga (Kennedy News & Media)
Connie likes to go on holiday as often as possible (Kennedy News & Media)"My daughter always says, 'I think you're like Benjamin Button, you're ageing backwards'. I get a lot of people saying stuff like that to me. It's kind of amazing because when you're young, nobody cares. But here I am at 80 years old, and all of a sudden it's a phenomenon."
Now, Connie runs a blog with 49-year-old daughter Randi Rigsby dedicated to helping women over 50 stay healthy, active and focused on self-improvement. She says that she is also considering doing a similar photoshoot elsewhere in America for her 81st birthday later this year.
Despite living with the symptoms of MND, Connie says that she always makes time to go to the gym and spend time doing social activities every day. She revealed: “Travel is great. It changes your thinking and helps you to stop thinking about your condition and your health. I think that what we really want to focus on is just documenting our celebrations as best as we can, especially for our children and grandchildren.
"I still have the symptoms, my muscles twist and cramp, but I'm still able to walk and go to the gym every day. We just have found that regardless of your age, it's just really important to keep up with social activities and spend time with family. You always think you have time, but maybe you don't.”
Connie's photos from the Las Vegas Flying Dresses photoshoot racked up more than 4,000 likes, comments and shares on Facebook. Viewers were quick to share their shock over Connie's age in the comments, calling the 80-year-old an 'inspiration'.
One user wrote: "There's no way you're 80. You look like you're in your 40s! Girl, you are hot." A second person commented: "What?! You look like you're 40! Amazing." Someone else third wrote: "Did you say this was your 80th birthday pic? What in the Benjamin Button sorcery is this?! You look fantastic and this pic is fire." And a fourth person commented: "I'm 48 and you are my inspiration to keep doing what we love… travel and enjoy life. Thank you for sharing."
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