FOUNDER, RANCHO LA PUERTA
Centenarian Deborah Szekely has been called “the godmother of the wellness movement” and is best known locally for founding the Golden Door Luxury Resort & Spa in Escondido. Szekely, who turned 100 years old earlier this year, is also an accomplished writer and activist. In 1940, she opened Rancho La Puerta, a wellness camp in Mexico that was part commune, part spa. Today, the 3,000-acre resort is a favorite of celebrities and wellness gurus while the Golden Door attracts fiercely loyal regulars, including Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart
