A nine-year-old bodybuilder from Japan, Toshisuke Kanazawa, took to the stage of a high-profile competition in Spain on Friday with the intention of proving that age is not an impediment when it comes to physical condition.
The 90-year-old man came to the coastal city of Santa Susanna to compete against rivals decades younger in the “masters” category, dedicated to athletes over 50 years old, in a competition organized by the International Federation of Fitness and Bodybuilding, reports Reuters, cited by Agerpres.
Backstage at the competition, Kanazawa followed the same preparation ritual as the younger contestants, warming up with the team and applying a spray tan before showing off his muscles in the spotlight.
“I like to do things that no one else has done before, and most of all, I want to practice bodybuilding for the rest of my life,” Kanazawa said.
Kanazawa attributes his longevity and fitness to his eating habits and says he follows a routine he established decades ago that keeps him in shape.
“It’s a subject I’ve researched and want to learn more about. But ever since I turned 50, I’ve been building muscle on a purely Japanese diet: brown rice, natto (a fermented soybean meal) and miso soup,” he said.
“It’s the classic Japanese way of eating. And thanks to that, I’ve lived 90 years without ever getting sick,” he added.
Although he did not get a place on the podium, Kanazawa maintains his determination to expand the limits of this sport, planning one last participation before retiring from competitive activity.
“I think I’ll try one more time at 93. After that, I’ll probably retire,” he said.
“As you get older, you start to get wrinkles, quite a lot. In Japan, it’s believed that after you get wrinkles like that, you just don’t look good anymore,” added the bodybuilder.
Kanazawa hopes his perseverance will inspire other seniors to stay active and overcome conventional limitations.
“Once you set your mind to something, you have to develop the mental strength and determination to see it through,” Kanazawa said.
“I want people to put in the effort just like I did. I think if they do that, we’ll see more people like me in old age. And I hope I can be a role model,” he said.
