If got to the point where he could more or less handle any slope, but still not with the degree of confidence or elegance he aspired to. He gazed longingly at expert skiers who could speed down any terrain with grace and style. Like many of us who reach a plateau we can’t seem to climb above, Ira Riklis had nearly resigned himself to the feeling that he had gotten as good as he would ever get.

Then, after twenty years of skiing, he met the coach who could help him reach that next level. Such opportunities don’t always come along, but the moral of the story is to hold onto your dreams and resolve to do you best to bring them to life.

Most of their support has gone to the Graduate School of Education, from which Diana received her degree. The GSE is one of the premier education research schools in the nation and one of the few to offer doctoral degrees. While Ira Riklis is proud to have graduated from the Wharton School of Business, he realizes that Wharton has many alumnae with the ways, means and eagerness to provide their support to that school.

Thinking back on it now, Ira Riklis is sometimes amazed he made it through his first family skiing trip. It took him several uncomfortable hours just to get his boots and skis strapped on properly and to learn how to sidestep his way up a small hill that really didn’t even qualify as even a beginner’s slope. Today he could jump that hill without a second thought while zipping down a double black diamond slope. But back then, it felt to him like he’d scaled Mt. Denali when he finally reached the top. It’s something worth remembering when you’re faced with the challenge of learning something new.

But even he was shocked some years ago when he learned of the plight of New York City’s poor, elderly and homebound residents. Largely invisible to most of us, the elderly poor make up a rapidly growing segment of our population. Many have limited mobility, few relatives or friends and household incomes of less than $10,000 a year.

For nearly thirty years now, an organization called Citymeals On-Wheels has been working to make the lives of these people a little better by providing meals delivered to their homes. The organization was founded in 1981 after Gael Greene and James Beard read an article about homebound elderly New Yorkers with little to eat on weekends and holidays.

They rallied friends, including Ira Riklis to raise funds to supplement a government-funded weekday meal delivery program. The program now serves 18,000 people with nutritious meals and human contact every day.

After trying and trying—without success—for more than an hour, Ira Riklis remembers plopping himself down in the snow and starting to cry. In spite of his efforts, he’d traveled all of about three feet. It was then that his sister, who had been skiing before, stepped in and took pity on him by showing him how to sidestep. In doing so, she gave him the first skill that eventually led to a life-long love of the sport. Now, nearly forty-five years later, he’s yet to see anyone use the herringbone for simple movements around the slopes.

Ira Riklis points out that, even though skiing dates back several thousand years, it originated as an offshoot of snowshoeing. The goal back then was to make traveling through the mountains in winter a little bit easier. Ski boots were basically hiking boots and binding were a way of strapping the boots to rudimentary skis. On his first trip, Ira’s bindings consisted of two sets of laces that had to be tied super tight. Not only was this very painful, it meant he had to spend a long, uncomfortable hour just to get strapped in.

Today the goal is recreation and fun – which is much preferred.

They have programs in more than one hundred cities on five continents. And their website, which offers everything to remembrances of the Holocaust to humor to practical advice for everyday life—has versions in five languages. The breadth and depth of their offerings have made Ira Riklis a long-time supporter of the group.

But above and beyond all that, what impresses Ira Riklis is the organization’s non-judgmental approach. While they are strictly Orthodox in their beliefs, they do not try to impose those views on others. Rather, their educational philosophy is that Judaism is not all or nothing; it is a journey where every step counts, to be pursued according to one’s own pace and interest.

Mike’s a pretty determined person as well. His ski gear once consisted of heavily weighted, fifteen-foot long speed skis and skin-tight Teflon ski suit. Realizing that the skis had no provision for turning and the suit would provide no traction on the snow, Ira Riklis asked Mike what would happen if he fell. Mike’s response was that they’d find “pieces of him two or three counties away.” Ira then asked him how he planned to insure his safety. Mike told Ira he had a simple, but most effective plan: “I don’t intend to fall.”

Now, as far as injuries go, scuffed elbows and knees and even a broken bone now and then are one thing. Traumatic head injuries are quite another—they account for more than 50% of all deaths from bicycle accidents.

Ira Riklis became aware of these statistics some years back when a child safety organization in Charlotte, North Carolina, approached him to ask if he’d be willing to provide helmets for local kids. Once he learned of the dangers of riding without helmets, he was more than happy help. He and the group did some planning, and on a fine spring day more than 5,000 kids were fitted for free helmets in the parking lot of a local YMCA.

I’ve talked about my favorite pasttimes: Yankees Football and skiing.

I’ve shared the lessons I’ve learned in life and shared stories.

You’ve seen pictures of Ira Riklis (that’s a first!)

Ira Riklis joined Twitter! (Now that’s a headline. Not sure how often it will be updated but stay tuned)

Ira Riklis also started blogging, definitely a new experience and learning curve. You’ve seen the interviews.

What will 2010 bring? Another film project? Whatever it brings I hope you had a great 2009 and that 2010 is even better. Master that skill. Find a teacher who can teach you and take your performance to a higher level. Become an expert in something you love. Be excellent.