Plus: How are things with her fiancé post-Golden Bachelorette?
Joan Vassos had quite a year in 2024. The 62-year-old went from working as a school administrator in Maryland and spending quiet time on the beach with her children and grandchildren to starring ABC’s first-ever season of The Golden Bachelorette, where millions of viewers watched her search for romance unfold.
Vassos says that when she was offered the gig, she knew she was being tasked with much more than just finding love on national television: “I wanted to be an example for everybody my age,” she tells Katie Couric Media. “My motto is fortune favors the bold, so the more you do things that scare you and make you uncomfortable, you grow and you become a better, more interesting person.” Since she show aired, she’s heard from people that her open-minded attitude and approach to finding love gave them “the little punch in the arm to go out and try again.”
That attitude made Vassos the perfect partner for Aspercreme’s “Act Your Age” campaign, which aims to redefine what it means to act your age — and particularly encourages older adults to reject misconceptions about aging. A survey conducted by Talker Research of 1,000 baby boomers and 1,000 younger adults found that 45 percent of younger generations associate being “old” with forgetfulness, and about 40 percent connect aging with decreased strength and mobility. In reality, 46 percent of the boomers surveyed said they feel happier now than when they were younger, and 63 percent say they’re living life to the fullest.
“The idea that aging means giving up on an active, interesting life is simply outdated,” Vassos says. “Acting your age means living boldly, embracing your passions, and showing up for yourself every day. Aspercreme relieves my everyday aches and pains so that I can live life fully, whether I’m working out, walking my dog, or chasing my grandkids around.”
We caught up with Vassos to ask about how things are going with her fiancé Chock Chapple post-Golden Bachelorette, her advice for staying active, and how she keeps her skin glowing.
Katie Couric Media: How are things going with Chock?
Joan Vassos: We’re still traveling a lot, but we finally settled into a routine. I’ve been to Wichita. He’s been to Maryland a bunch of times, and we’re getting to know each other’s friends lifestyles. I got to meet all his really good friends. We’ve done the same thing in Maryland. He spent a lot of time with my family and my grandkids, and met some of my friends. We kind of did this backwards — we got engaged and fell in love, then figured out the life stuff afterwards.
We’ve been spending a lot of time in New York. We went there right after the finale, and we’ve been there three times since. We love it. There’s so much energy in the city, and both of us have always wanted to live there. So, we’re finally living that dream.
What’s the next step for your relationship?
Eventually, Chock is probably going to move to Maryland, but right now he has a business in Wichita. He probably can’t step away from that completely for a couple of years. So we’ll be going back and forth and spending time in Wichita, Maryland, and New York. We also have the opportunity to travel now that we’re a little bit older and retired. We’re planning on going to Europe — probably to Paris in the fall — and we’re actually going to Mexico on Sunday.
Do you have any tips for making a long-distance relationship work?
You have to really plan and compare calendars often. Otherwise, your life’s going to get busy and you’re going to all of a sudden go, God, I haven’t seen you in three weeks. Chock and I have determined our breaking point is about two weeks. I love knowing how much I miss him at two weeks, because I know that the feeling is really, really strong, and it gets stronger every time like that, two weeks becomes harder every time we see each other.
Let’s talk about your partnership with Aspercreme — what excites you about it?
I think we’re a perfect match. I’ve always thought age is just a number, and you shouldn’t let it define what you can do — from my recent engagement to my everyday adventures. Also, at this age, you really have time to do the things that you love. For me, that includes chasing my grandkids around and taking them to the park.
But at this point in life, let’s face it, it takes a toll on your body. That’s why the partnership with Aspercreme is perfect for me. I particularly love their roll-on with lidocaine. When my grandkids and I go to the park, they’re always super tired when we’re walking home, and I end up giving them piggyback rides. So that used to be a deterrent for me — I’d be like, “Everybody walk. Jojo can’t carry you.” Now I don’t say that anymore, because you roll on the Aspercreme, and it truly eliminates the pain immediately. By the way, it’s odor-free, so you don’t smell like your grandmother used to. So my life becomes more about making the memories with the people that I love, as opposed to worrying about the pain I’m going to feel when I’m having fun.
You said “Jojo” — is that what your grandkids call you? I’ve noticed a lot of new grandparents don’t want to be called grandma these days. Katie goes by Gogo, for instance.
Yes, they call me Jojo. I think it’s part of a bigger feeling or message that we’re defying the stereotypes of aging — which has to do with having these active lives. Maybe titles like grandma or grandmother make you feel old, or sound old, and we’re not about feeling that way again. So we’re trying to defy it in a lot of different ways, including the name grandma.
What are your like secrets for staying healthy and active?
For me, it’s about doing things you like to do. I’ll go hiking in Maryland at a place called the Billy Goat Trail with my friends. We’re walking and catching up on each other’s lives, having fun and the time flies. Or we’ll play pickleball. With Chock, we walk around New York City. Also, playing with my grandkids keeps me young. I’m doing the things I love, and I’m staying active, and it doesn’t even occur to me that I’m exercising.
You’ve been so outspoken about age being is just a number, but has becoming a public figure made you feel any pressure about aging a certain way?
It felt like a responsibility, not really a pressure. When I was selected to be the Golden Bachelorette, I didn’t want it to be just about me finding love, because that’s very small and insignificant in the world. I wanted it to be about people my age — in their 50s and 60s and 70s and 80s — this second part of life. I wanted to show that it could be dignified trying to find love, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it, and it could be fun. I wanted to give people hope, because I feel like so many people give up when life throws them something and they end up being this age and single, which they didn’t expect to be.
You don’t have to accept that’s what life gave you, and you can make a change. But unless you go out and try, it’s not going to come find you. Age makes you interesting. It doesn’t make you old. In other cultures, when you become older, you’re revered and respected. In our culture, you’re kind of put on a back burner. I am trying to help show that we don’t need to be invisible. We have a lot still to offer in the world.
Before I go, I’ve got to know your skincare routine.
For years, I just used whatever I bought at the drugstore. Now, I realized you need to use vitamin A, you can use vitamin C, and you need to use retinol. It does really make a difference. I’ve been way better about that. I’m also taking vitamins. For years, I hadn’t been particularly good about that, but it really gives your full body overall health.
I’m a single parent. My husband passed away, and I feel like I have a responsibility to be healthy for my kids and my grandkids, to be around for a long time. So I definitely concentrate on health more. And that’s skincare, but also vitamins, eating right, and exercise. But I do still have a sweet tooth, and I eat some cookies every day.
