Age is no limit
With a 93-old-year Prime Minister leading us and a senior Council of Eminent Persons charting the course, we are literally seeing active ageing at work. Star2 speaks to other seniors who are thumbing their nose at ageism, such as 81-year-old triathlete Ye
EXTREME endurance racer Yee Sze Mun used to believe that age is just a number – attitude is everything and if he wanted to do something, nothing could stand in his way, least of all his advancing years.
After all, Yee has defied many age-related stereotypes: instead of slowing down post retirement, he started running marathons and triathlons. He completed his first full marathon when he was 52 years old. He took part in his first Ironman (long-distance triathlon) race in Hawaii in 1995, when he was 58.
Fourteen years later, at 72, he clocked his personal best time (14 hours and 46 minutes and 48 seconds) at the Ironman Langkawi race.
In fact, Yee seemed to be getting better with age.
But now, at 81 and preparing for his 17th full Ironman race in Langkawi this November, Yee admits he is not performing as well as he used to.
He still has the mind of a young man – eager to try new challenges and push the boundaries of his performance, but his body is not as cooperative, Yee laments.
“I am now fighting the battle on many fronts. The Ironman is challenging for anyone, young or old.
“But I now have additional hurdles because of my age; my eyesight is failing and so is my hearing.
“My reflexes are slower, I have lost muscle strength and muscle recovery after each race or training session takes much longer.
“Age is no longer just a number. My mind is raring to go but my body is stuck in first gear,” says the retired regional sales manager.
Yee, is nevertheless, not giving in to age’s ravages. He recognises that there are few who have raced past 70, and there is therefore little knowledge on older athletes’ endurance.
“There are only a few stubborn old fools like me who continue to push the boundaries. And, we’re going in blindly groping in the dark because there are no books or coaches who have the experience or knowledge to train 80-year-old racers. You need to have raced past 70 to be able to know what an ageing body experiences and we don’t have coaches with that kind of knowledge,” laments Yee.
As a result, Yee reads extensively to figure out ways to train better or overcome new obstacles brought on by age.
“It’s trial and error. When I face a problem in a race, I come back and crack my head over how to fix it and work towards a solution.
“Then I wait for my next race to test it out. Most of the time, it doesn’t work and I have to go back to the drawing board.
“This is frustrating but also exciting because there’s always something to work towards,” shares Yee, who first realised he was slowing down at his 10th Ironman Langkawi race in 2010.
“As I saw the finishing line, I was excited. When I crossed the finish, I was expecting my old lady to give me a hug and congratulate me on completing my 15th Ironman race in as many years. Instead, I got an earful. She asked me what took me so long.
“I was shocked but then I looked at the clock and realised that I’d taken over 16 hours; it was my worst outing in Langkawi so far,” he recalls, chuckling as he recalled the incident.
No stopping him
Yee has accepted the inevitable effects of ageing on his weathered body but he is determined to keep going.
“If you tell me to stop now, that will really kill me. I love to race. I’ve had to change my expectations, though. I used to be able to make it within the qualifying time without much trouble, with at least 25% of the pack behind me. Now, if I can complete the race, it’s an achievement. If I make the cut off time, that’s the icing.
“Why do I still do it? Because I still believe that I can do better, relatively speaking, of course.
Nothing is impossible if you believe you can and I believe I can, says Yee. “If the day comes when I think I’m useless and can’t do it anymore, when it isn’t fun anymore, I will stop. But I still want to try,” says Yee, who was the first inductee into the Ironman Malaysia Hall of Fame in 2015.
Yee has written a book about his exploits, The Bumble Bee In Me - Living The Ironman Dream, to share his stories and maybe inspire others to believe in themselves more.
At the Bintan half-Ironman race last year, CEO of event promoter MetaSport, Nathalie Marquet, recognised the Kuala-Lumpur born Yee as possibly the oldest triathlete in Asia. He has competed in 150 triathlons. “The blood, sweat and tears involved is something people don’t see. Everyone cheers me on and tells me how amazing it is that I’m still racing.
“They ask me about my diet secrets or my training regime. But they don’t realise the sacrifices that are involved, particularly for an old fellow like me,” says Yee.
Endurance racing isn’t for the weak. Over the years, Yee had had his share of mishaps. A bike accident some years ago left him with a chronic neck injury which means he lives with pain. He can’t rotate his head much, which definitely limits his performance.
“My doctor has told me that there is no cure for my condition. I can’t eliminate the pain but have to manage it. I’ve been advised to slow down and I have. Instead of six races a year, I do four! My family and friends have advised me to take up golfing or to go for morning
walks instead of racing. Are you kidding me? I will never go for a morning walk. Instead of doing me good, it will demoralise me,” says Yee, his eyes filling with horror at the thought of retiring from racing. It’s surprising then to learn that the exuberant Yee was a sedentary couch potato right into his 50s. What got him moving was a doctor’s warning that he wouldn’t make it past 60.
He didn’t just heed this wake-up call; he ran with it.
Getting to the finish line
But Yee isn’t foolhardy. For his November race, he has undergone a full medical checkup. Apart from his neck injury, Yee proudly proclaims he is “in perfect health”.
Born in Taiping in 1929, he worked all through his schooling years to help his family.
“I had a hard life. I worked as a watchman in a Nibong Tebal rubber estate. I also worked at a tin dredge in Kamunting, ploughed land in Tanjung Rambutan and also delivered milk to the mental hospital there. I drove a bullock cart at some point too.
“But still, I managed to get an education and by God’s grace, I am alive and kicking. I garden and plant my own vegetables. I golf a few times a week and still drive around town. But it’s my social work that keeps me
He has also enlisted the help of physiotherapists and sports trainers.
“I’ve tried everything from traditional medicine, sports doctors and even Kung Fu practitioners to help me get ready. They all told me that I was too old.
“But then I found a group of physiotherapists and trainers who were willing to take me on. They were surprised when I told them I wanted their help to finish the Ironman but they agreed to try, and that’s enough for me. I’m not gunning for speed or to better my time. I just want to finish,” he says.
Kate Lai Pei Xuan, who founded Dynamique Sports Rehab Centre with former national discus thrower Karen Yap, says that she was inspired by Yee’s strong busy,” says the proud Penangite.
For 90-year-old retired school teacher Abraham Niman, the secret to active ageing is quite simple: be active.
“I always advised my students to engage in some form of activity apart from their studies. And it should be the same for us all throughout our lives. Even after retirement, activity should be a part of our everyday life,” says Niman, who goes for a walk or a hike – no less than a kilometre – everyday.
“As long as we are able, and in whatever capacity, we must contribute to society and help those in need. We need to be useful and helpful until the end,” he says. fighting spirit.
“Our team consists of former national athletes who focus on sports recovery and training and so we understand the enthusiasm and passion in every sports person.
“Completing the Ironman is Uncle Yee’s passion and we wanted to be a part of his journey,” says Lai.