‘Age before beauty!’ Rocky Balboa to Apollo Creed
These photographs of Masters’ class (over-60 years) athlete, Chan Chan Seng describes it all; I took them on Sunday at the OSIM Singapore International Triathlon. Sport defies age, and age defies sporting abilities. This triathlete showed all the enthusiasm and energy of any other triathlete completing an Olympic Distance triathlon.
A few months ago, I featured Mr Kor Hong Fatt who is Singapore’s oldest marathoner. He successfully completed his first Boston Marathon after qualifying for it last year. Having suffered a medical condition about eight years ago, he now runs regularly and competes in marathons annually. His pace/speed in a marathon can embarrass poorly prepared runners, yet he is an inspiration to many for his persistence, patience and perseverance.
Leadership Lessons: When has age been a problem for you at your workplace? How do you value tacit wisdom and experience? How have you added value to yourself and others with each passing financial year? How have you matured in the way you manage and lead others around you?
Photo-credits: Kor Hong Fatt at the Boston Marathon 2011(#21561)
Don’t you just hate it when you experience a power trip? I am referring to ones that hit you when you are busy writing on your keyboard, and then the lights go out. If the electrical surge was extreme, good luck to all unsaved data and a fried motherboard or disk-drive. When energy sources are unreliable, performance of your best digital hardware becomes reduced and unreliable.
Yesterday, thanks to fellow-blogger John Cooke I provided a link to Chucky V.’s blog, about the latter’s piece on being out-chicked by a female athlete. What could be more humbling than that? Being out-aged by a gracefully aging athlete.
Photo-credits: Kor Hong Fatt at the Boston Marathon 2011(#21561)
2 comments:
Enrico, I was challenged to do my first triathlon by the fact I looked and felt way older than I was, and definitely unhealthy too.
For this, my first race, I racked my bike next to a sprightly, lean guy who I guessed was early fifties. Nervously I asked for advice about the race (3/4 OD) and he gave it with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.
I finished that race 3rd last, edging out a 64 year old lady in the finish chute, but just in time to see the guy that helped me out go up to get his prize. The announcer said as he called him up: "This man would have won the over 50's, he would have won the over 60's and he HAS won the 70+ category at age 72!"
I knew there and then, that any sport I could still do in my 70s and have fun and (hopefully) look as good as that guy, was a sport for me. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for writing, Bernard! I, too, was inspired by Peter Tee, my friend's late-father who raced in OSIM in the early-2000's. I was thinking to myself: 'If he can do it - so can I!' Well, I am no Martin Yan and I can't cook, and my first biathlon nearly killed me - I had heat exhaustion. Years after, with more sensible training and coaching guidance, I completed my first OD triathlon. It has been a awesome journey so far, a tough one, and I respect every person who dares to train and challenge himself/herself. Thanks for sharing, mate. Congratulations on your recent triathlon - you are a powerhouse on the swim and ride. [Bernard and I did our first Ironman New Zealand in 2006.]
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