Erik Lindbergh
“Growing up, my sense of self was physical,” Erik Lindbergh says. A champion gymnast, he also climbed and skied Mount Rainier – before being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and watching that self “die a slow death” throughout a decade.
After a new medication and double knee replacements gave him back his life, Lindbergh, grandson of aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, began to work, travel and play in earnest. An artist who creates sculptures and furniture from wood and metal, he’s also a commercial pilot and flight instructor. He’s chairman of the Lindbergh Foundation and re-created his grandfather’s solo nonstop transatlantic flight in 2002, the 75th anniversary of the event.
Lindbergh counts the days in summer until he straps on his skis, keeping himself in shape by riding a recumbent bike and playing hacky sack.
As much as he craves skiing for the sheer “rush and reward of completion,” Lindbergh admits that other benefits of exercise are also part of his calculation. “My brain just functions better when I’ve been exercising,” he says. “And if I have to have another operation or I experience a flare, the healthier I am, the faster I’ll recover.”
At 42, Lindbergh knows another knee replacement is a possibility. “My orthopaedic surgeon doesn’t know everything I do,” he says, laughing. “He said I could ski, but that I should ski carefully. It’s a risk – if I damage my knees, there’s only so much they can do. But I also have to live. And this is one of the things that gives me life and energy.”
Daredevil? No.
Just Determined.
And smart. Erik Lindbergh has found ways to keep doing what he’s passionate about, even if he does it a little differently.
Lindbergh has been a hacky sack fiend since high school, but rheumatoid arthritis kept him from playing for eight years. Once he could resume, he found it hard to jump and twist like he used to. To compensate, he developed more moves that use his toes, and he continues playing.
Like Lindbergh, you may have to develop a few creative moves. If your passion is tennis, for example, trade an overhead serve for a side shot, and switch from singles to doubles. If you love to run, try deep-water running instead of pounding the pavement.
Meet others who love to move:
Dorothy Hamill, champion ice skater
Nancy Little, determined hockey player
