Wellness Profile: Sedell Rand

"I wasn't a troublemaker. I just didn't abide by the rules, that's all," said 103-year-old Sedell Rand with a laugh as she recounted a story from her mischievous childhood.

But as Rand has demonstrated throughout her long life, she hasn't been breaking the rules of society, she's been making new ones.

From pursuing higher education in the 1940s, to beginning a vitamin and exercise regimen in the 1950s, to starting her own business in the 1970s, Rand has been rewriting the rules for women longer than most people have been alive.

Now, at 103 years old, Rand is living proof that a life of curiosity, a tireless pursuit of knowledge, and a commitment to being proactive with her health have been her keys to a long, fulfilled life.

True Grit

Sedell Rand was born in 1921, in the post-World War I era, just after the passing of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Raised in New York City as the daughter of immigrants, Rand learned grit at an early age.

With two older brothers, her father didn't baby her. Instead, when she was just four, he bought her boxing gloves, and her brothers taught her how to use them.  She feels this training gave her the tough spirit she needed to survive.

She learned further lessons of determination from her mother, who became a widow with five young children at the age of 42 during the Great Depression.

Those years were formative for her.

"I am a product of my growing up," said Rand. "My father died young. I think the things that happened in my life before I was 20 set my life in the way that it went. I had to work all my life."

She worked a job while pursuing a graduate degree at Columbia University. She'd get up at six o'clock in the morning, work all day, go to school all evening, and then do homework until two o'clock in the morning.

"There's a drive within you to accomplish those things," said Rand. "You don't sit back and analyze it at the time. You just do it. You take one step at a time. If you analyzed everything you were doing instead of being motivated, you wouldn't do it."

This determination earned her a master's degree in insurance.

"I wasn't trying to prove myself or obtain more credibility," said Rand. "It was the thing to do for my future life."

Shortly after that, she began her career in life insurance and ultimately started her own successful business— from which she retired only five years ago at age 98.

However, she is still happy to give advice when former clients call.

A Lifetime of Good Habits

When asked the secret to her longevity, Rand said, "I would say it's good food, good living, taking vitamins, and staying active. But ultimately, the real formula can be summed up in two letters, C.S…. Common Sense. It's about having respect for your body and for other people."

Rand still makes the monthly walk to her landlord to pay rent on the Manhattan apartment she's lived in since 1948.

During her last outing, she also made stops at the bank and the local grocer.

"I figured I walked at least a mile by putting one foot in front of the other," noted Rand.

When she's out, she uses a walker that protects her from people bumping into her.

"I live in a major city and people are always rushing or looking at their phone and they walk into you.  The walker, which I refer to as my 'chariot', shields me from folks who don't look where they are going," she said.

For decades, Rand has been diligent about working out weekly with a personal trainer.  She does balance exercises, wall pushups, sitting to standing without holding on, arm raises, walking up stairs, and more.

"The trainer hits all parts of my anatomy," said Rand.  "You can't do it by yourself because what kind of discipline would you have?"

She also began taking vitamins long before it became popular to do so.

"I've been taking vitamins for more than 50 years, and I think they're helping to keep me healthy," said Rand.

For over twenty years, she has been taking supplements.  Early on, she followed the work of American chemist Linus Pauling, winner of two unshared Nobel Prizes, who is recognized for his studies on the benefits of vitamin C.

She has learned to research what nutrients she might be lacking, or what supplements could be beneficial for her based on her specific needs.  Her vitamin program rotates and evolves depending on her current health status.

"I'm also fortunate that I don't have any bad habits," said Rand. "I don't smoke. I avoid the sun. I don't drink whiskey now, and wine doesn't really impress me."

In fact, Rand credits her physical fitness, commitment to a healthy diet, and vitamin regimen for being able to walk out of the hospital after having heart surgery in her late 80s.

"If I wasn't physically fit, they wouldn't have done the surgery," said Rand.

Rand participated in the PARTNER trial that was researching a new technique called "percutaneous transcatheter aortic replacement," as suggested by Dr. Michael Ozner, a member of Life Extension's Scientific Advisory Board.

Instead of exposing Rand to the complications of open-heart surgery, this minimally invasive procedure involved threading a replacement valve through her leg's femoral artery and inserting it into her malfunctioning aortic valve.  This is the same procedure that Mick Jagger, of the Rolling Stones, had in 2019.

Rand was accepted into the study and received the experimental aortic valve.

Five days later, she walked out of the hospital. And just a few weeks after that, she flew to Chicago for a Jane Austin Society meeting.

While Rand has engaged in many of the lifestyle factors now recommended for health and longevity, she still credits much of her success in life, health, and longevity to her mother.

"She gave me good genes," said Rand. She recalled that when her mother died at age 95, she didn't have any wrinkles. "She also fed us lots of fruit and vegetables. You'd be surprised how many people don't grow up eating vegetables."

Rand still chooses to consume a whole food diet filled with fresh produce she buys from a nearby farmer's market.

She says she has five or six varieties of fruit for breakfast. And for dinner, she enjoys salmon or chicken with five or six different vegetables.

Keeping Her Mind Sharp

Rand is an avid reader who believes in the value of pursuing knowledge so that people can think and make decisions for themselves.

"I find it interesting that people don't stop and think," said Rand. "They always copy. They have no desire to really investigate and understand properly."

Rand has a quick-witted sense of humor and enjoys making people laugh—which she plans to continue doing for years to come.

"There's a saying that goes, 'May you live until 120,' said Rand. "I just want to make sure it's with my head in the right place so I can function and think."

If Rand's track record of success is any indication, she is well on her way.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.