Caroline and David Labouchere

Saying Yes to Life

Some couples spend a lifetime growing older together. Far fewer continue growing together. That distinction sits at the heart of Caroline and David Labouchere’s story.

To many people, Caroline is the familiar face. By embracing her grey hair and becoming one of the most recognisable figures in the midlife modelling world, she challenged the idea that visibility has an expiry date. At a stage of life when many women are quietly encouraged to step back, Caroline stepped forward instead.

What followed was never really about modelling.

It was about possibility.

It was about showing that life does not become smaller simply because the years pass. If anything, Caroline believes the opposite.

When asked what lesson she has learned from becoming visible later in life, her answer is immediate.

“Life in your 60s can be the best stage in your life.”

That optimism runs through everything she does.

When asked what daily habit has had the greatest positive impact on her life, she doesn’t mention exercise, nutrition or career success.

Instead, she says:

“Being happy, that I have a choice every moment of every day.”

It is a simple observation, but it reveals something important. Caroline does not see ageing as a process of losing options. She sees it as an opportunity to make better choices.

Health plays a central role in that philosophy.

“I have to be healthy so I can say yes to every opportunity that comes my way. There is a lot more life to live.”

That sentence captures the essence of healthy longevity. Health is not the destination. Health is what allows you to keep participating in life.

For Caroline, that participation is built on simple foundations. Stretching, bending and maintaining mobility are non-negotiable. Being supple matters. Equally important is connection.

“Mentally I need human contact. I need to support women. I feed off community.”

That sense of community has become an important part of her life. Every morning, while most people are still asleep, she is awake and exercising with friends. The habit is not simply about fitness. It is about movement, friendship and belonging.

David approaches healthy longevity from a different angle, yet arrives at remarkably similar conclusions.

For him, the goal is capability.

He believes we spend too much time thinking about how we look and too little time thinking about what we can still do.

Healthy longevity means being able to squat down and stand back up without assistance. It means carrying heavy things, maintaining grip strength and moving confidently through the world.

“We don’t have to be world championship endurance athletes, but we do need to be able to do human things in society without help.”

His advice is refreshingly practical.

Move like a child.

Stay capable.

Protect your independence.

Underpinning all of this is a belief that health should be treated as an investment rather than a rescue plan.

“I’ve had my share of issues, but I deal with them by healthy living first, a prescription second.”

Like Caroline, he understands that the habits we practise daily determine how much freedom we retain later in life.

What makes their story particularly powerful, however, is not their shared commitment to health. It is their shared commitment to relationships.

If David could speak to his younger self, his advice would be straightforward:

“Prioritise relationships. Select relatively few and service them relentlessly. Choose well, then go all in.”

That philosophy is visible throughout their lives and nowhere more so than in their marriage.

When asked what role Caroline has played in helping him continue growing and evolving, his answer is both simple and revealing.

“I want her to see me as the man she married. Strong, protective, a hunter-gatherer, provider. How I land with her is more important than any other relationship. Forever.”

There is no performance in that statement. Just commitment.

Caroline describes their relationship equally simply.

“We are on the same page. Fighting perceptions of ageing.”

Together they have become living proof that ageing does not require withdrawal. It does not require accepting stereotypes about what life should look like in your sixties and beyond.

Caroline defines healthy longevity as being well enough to enjoy life and energetic enough to give back. She wants to run around with her grandchildren without aches and pains. David wants to remain strong, capable and independent.

Both are describing the same thing.

Participation.

The ability to remain fully engaged with life, the people you love and the opportunities still ahead.

Their story is not about looking younger.

It is about continuing to say yes to life.

And that is what makes Caroline and David Labouchere Meta-Agers.

We’re IN

Instagram: @carolinelabouchere @Davidlabouchere