It takes Thai athlete Sawang Janpram 27.08 seconds to run 100m. That is not bad, given that he is 102 years old.
Sawang is known for being the oldest sprinter in the Southeast Asian country, and has participated four times in the annual Thailand Master Athletes Championships, particularly in the 100m dash, javelin and discus events.
Last weekend at the 26th championships in southwestern Samut Songkhram Province, he won all the gold medals in the 100 to 105 age category as he has outlived all of his rivals in that age range.
Photo: Reuters
Asked about the secret to his longevity, Sawang said: “Getting into sports made me strong and well. As well as this, exercising helps improve your appetite so you eat well, too.”
Sawang’s everyday routine includes daily walks with his 70-year-old daughter, Siripan, and simple house chores such as sweeping up fallen leaves in their garden.
The centenarian ramped this up ahead of the games, training twice a day for a week at a local stadium with his daughter.
“My father always has positive thoughts ... so he is in a great mental health condition. In terms of physical health, he has gotten much stronger,” Siripan said.
The training paid off. Sawang broke the Thai 100m sprint record for his age group this year.
Usain Bolt, who holds the world record, ran it in 9.58 seconds in 2009.
As Thailand’s society ages, the number of participants in the seniors category has grown, Asia Masters Athletics president Viwat Vigrantanoros said.
When the Thailand Master Athletes Championships started in 1996, there were only about 300 participants. Today, there are more than 2,000, their ages ranging from 35 to 102 years.
“As you can see, everybody who’s here to compete has all forgotten about their ages. Once they forget about their ages, they are happy,” Viwat said.
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