At 90 years old, Prof. Yul Kwon is not slowing down.
Following a long career in academia, Kwon picked up running 30 years ago after encouragement from his daughter.
“She urged me over the phone a few times,” he said.
“So I started doing 10K marathons when I was 60, and then 21K, and then a few years later I did a full marathon at 68.”
Since then, he has run over 100 marathons and placed first in his age category in the 2016 Boston Marathon.
So what is Kwon’s secret?
Beginning at 6 a.m. daily, he starts by stretching, followed by a workout at the gym.
From there, he goes on a 10K run around the UBC neighbourhood.
He is now gearing up for the BMO Marathon next month. This time, he is not concerned about breaking records but is instead focussed on supporting the B.C. Cancer Foundation.
“In B.C., one in two people will have cancer in their lifetime…so I believe the only way treatment can be better is to do research,” he said.
“As a marathoner for fundraising, it makes my run more meaningful. In the past, I’d just do it myself; now it’s in support of others. It gives me motivation.”
Now, Kwon is redefining what it means to grow old, one step at a time.
“I would say health and happiness is your choice. You have to choose to be healthy, to have a clear goal, and then what you should do,” he said.
“My goal is to maintain my physical and mental health.”
