A few weeks ago, an old friend had a fall and broke his femur. He had major surgery, with a metal rod placed from hip to knee. He is 91 years old. I know what you are thinking, "Well, an elderly man like that - they're just so fragile at that age - he must have lost his balance in his home or at the Senior Center."

But the truth is so much richer. The friend was Klaus Obermeyer, National Ski Hall of Famer and founder of Obermeyer Sport.  He hit a rope chest high, skiing at "high speed" down a run used for downhill racing in Aspen. (For reference, a few years back Klaus was clocked in a downhill course skiing his age in speed, which meant over 80 mph!)

This was his first major ski injury in his 88 years of skiing. He started in the Bavarian mountains by nailing his shoes to wooden slats from an old orange crate, tying a cord around the tips to bend them up, and then attaching the cords to his knees.

Klaus came to Aspen to teach skiing in 1949. Warm ski clothing was not in existence then, which kept most people from wanting to ski. He took the feather-filled comforter which his mother had given him and turned it into the first ever down parka.   The feathers fell with gravity to the belly and wrist areas of his warm new jacket, making him look like the Michelin tire man.

Someone bought that first parka right off his back, which financed Klaus Obermeyer to make a better version and the rest is history:  perhaps the greatest worldwide ski industry success story ever. His commitment to functional clothing and the 'green' environmental community gives deep meaning to his life.

When I called him shortly after the accident he quipped, "I think I might not ski today." This made me laugh, because Klaus skis nearly every day in the winter, spending his mornings at work and his après-ski hours swimming laps. When there's no snow, you will find Klaus working his orchard, or windsurfing, or playing tennis. Movement is his middle name.

One thing you will never see (and I've observed him closely for 40 years), is Klaus without a smile, a laugh, a joke, and something positive to say. Instead of wanting to sue whoever put the rope up, he says with a hearty laugh, "The accident was my fault, because I was skiing with my eyes closed." Talk about a positive mindset!

If you ask me the key to healthy longevity, I'll just point to Klaus. Maybe we could summarize his success in 3 M's - Mindset, Movement, and Meaning. Klaus Obermeyer lives them everyday. How about us?