Player warns against obesity
GARY Player at first would not hear of posing in the nude. “No, no, no,” he told ESPN when it broached the idea of the 77-year-old golf legend becoming the oldest man ever to strip naked for a photo shoot.
When he eventually agreed to do it, the photographers were not only impressed by his refusal to don underwear, but by the Player body itself.
This week, naked images of Player in ESPN’s Body Issue created a sensation in the US, along with his blunt criticism of Western lifestyles.
After stating that “people who are my age, they’re dead” and also warning Western youths of shortened life spans, Player told the Sunday Times that the epidemic of obesity was an issue “of the utmost urgency”. He added that “the trouble with Americans is that they don’t appreciate America enough”.
Player was chosen for the annual issue as a pioneer of fitness. The golfer claimed to have “no aches or pains” and to take no medications or supplements at all — “no vitamins, no pills, nothing”.
Player said he decided to do the shoot “because of the message . . . to reach young
Many my age have given up on looking after themselves
people to adopt a lifestyle that focuses on being healthy”.
Sporting personalities in the US were calling for older women athletes to follow Player this week. Bodybuilder Ernestine Shepherd, 75, and former Olympic skater Carol Jenkins, 73, were among the lead candidates proposed.
Player said he had recently increased his famed regimen of 1 000 sit-ups daily to 1 200 and aimed to increase the vegetarian part of his diet from 70% to 85%.
In addition to playing occasional competitive and charitable tournaments, Player runs a horse ranch in the Karoo where, he said, he personally assisted in mixing cement and carrying poles.
A grandfather of 23 who has won nine major titles, Player said that “many people my age have simply given up on looking after themselves”.
“There is far too much obesity in today’s society, especially in the younger generation.
‘‘If I can encourage today’s youth to focus on health and fitness, I will count that as a great victory.”