Octogenarian bodybuilder a ‘pharaoh’ to Cairo’s youth
“
Age is just a number.” This is the favorite quote of 80-year-old Sobhi Mohammed from Egypt, who has been a bodybuilder for almost 60 years.
“People keep asking me when I am going to retire. I simply answer ‘never’,” Mohammed said as he warmed up with some exercises at al-Shams Club on the outskirts of Cairo. He has been working out there for the past 40 years.
It is generally believed that people grow less active and lose appetite for life as they age.
However, Mohammed, who was a director-general of the property tax authority in Giza Province, deems that age should never block ambitions if you still have a strong will.
“I never stopped exercising for more than 60 years. I may train less now, but I am still exercising,” he said during a short break to catch his breath.
Mohammed does look much younger than his real age.
“That’s simply because workout keeps me fresh and healthy,” he proudly said.
Mohammed’s love of sport began when he joined his school gymnastics and athletics teams. He once came third in Cairo’s Gymnastics Championship.
At university, he started to pay more attention to bodybuilding, not only for a better shape, but also for health reasons.
“For me, sport is a lifestyle, I am addicted to sport,” Mohammed said before he started a tough weightlifting exercise.
His well-shaped, muscular body helped him appear in Steve Reeve’s famous movie the “Son of Spartacus” in 1962.
Mohammed played a minor role of a muscleman in the movie, which was filmed in Egypt and tells the story of an ancient Roman soldier, who was sent to Egypt by Julius Caesar to monitor one of his commanders.
“I earned 50 Egyptian pounds per day, which was a large amount of money,” he said with a smile.
Mohammed, now a father of four, said training hard and having a good exercise schedule, as well as a healthy diet plan, are the real foundations of bodybuilding.
He warned young people about taking bodybuilding supplements that can pose health risks, recommending they go for vitamins and other all-natural supplements that do not cause harm.
“Most supplements nowadays are not natural and cause many health problems such as acidic blood, fatty liver, stomach cramps and kidney damage,” he said. “My grandsons work out too. But I always advise them not to rely on these kinds of supplements.”
Despite his age, Mohammed, known as the “last Pharaoh” in the Egyptian media, dreams of taking part in bodybuilding contests.
“I hope to join world championships, but this requires money and support from the government. I have friends in their 70s, and they participated in swimming competitions in the United States,” the fitness fanatic said, drenched in sweat.
For young bodybuilders at alShams Club, Mohammed is their godfather and an example to be followed.
“Mohammed is 40 years older than me, but he does his exercises as if he is much younger than me,” said Mohammed Gabr, an athlete and employee at an aviation company.
Gabr believes Mohammed is a great example of resilience and hard work for all athletes at the club, adding they were lucky to share the gym with such a “hero.”
“We watch him working out in shock, he really crushes us. We wish we can be just like him when we reach his age,” Gabr
added.