Rae in the real world

Rae loves adventure and will happily consider invitations to speak, give readings, lead discussions, or offer workshops in a variety of settings, both indoors and out.

Drawing on her experience as a retired professor, author, and the world’s oldest woman highliner, Rae speaks about fear, aging, reinvention, balance, and faith. Her presentations combine storytelling, humor, reflection, and scenes from the world of highlining and outdoor adventure.

Book Rae Raptor!
Panel discussion at a conference with four women sitting on stage, three speaking and listening, and a large screen behind showing a kayaker navigating rapids in a river.

Rae enjoys

tailoring presentations, workshops, and discussions for particular audiences and settings.

•      Aging and Reinvention

•      Fear and Courage

•      Balance On and Off the Slackline

•      Adventure, Meaning, and Faith

Possible Talks & Workshops

  • Panelist for “Flow—Women’s Anthology.”  Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. November 8, 2025.

  • "What Makes Me Come Alive—Slacklining!"  Carmel of Reno Monastery. March 10, 2023.

  • "Your First Mistake Was to Call Me an Old Lady—Highlining Over Sixty."  Jaramillo Highline Festival, Pachuca, Mexico. October 29, 2022.

  • "My #Slacklife."  Rotary Club, Sparks, Nevada. August 11, 2021.

Past Speaking Appearances

Workshops

Rae Raptor instructing students, smiling and talking, holding hiking poles. Two women are in the foreground, and one is in the background. The scene is set in a park with trees, grass, and people in the background.

Rae is especially interested in offering balance workshops that combine conversation about physical and mental balance with simple, hands-on introductions to slacklining and other balance activities in parks, retreat settings, or community spaces.

Elderly man and Rae Raptor exercising together outdoors in a park, using walking poles and balancing on a wooden plank marked as a classic line.
Three people in a park including, Rae Raptor, are smiling and talking. The man is holding two ski poles and has tattoos on his legs. A boundary tape labeled 'Classic Line' is on the grass in front of them.