Kath Johnstone is an amazing New Zealander. At 94, she is also a true health hero because of the positive health and well-being choices she has made throughout life. Kath is currently at the World Masters Games in Italy competing in a number of swimming events.
She has won gold medals in each of her five races, taking out first place in the 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800m freestyle events!
Supporters say she is the darling of the championships giving interviews and posing for photos like the pro she is. “She looks so well and she is an inspiration to everyone”.
Whatever our age, stage or circumstances, we can all learn from Kath.
Here are her four rules for life:
- Be active: maintaining regular physical activity is a well-tested way to prevent most of the long term illnesses that cause early death, or reduce quality of life: heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancers, dementia. Kath has an lifelong exercise habit, and is active in some way every day, including stretches on her bed at home, swimming, and exercising at the gym.
- Be positive: Kath maintains a positive, can-do, flexible approach to life. On turning 70, she decided to do something adventurous every year, and so has had some pretty exciting experiences over the past 20 years: sky-diving, white-water rafting, black-water rafting, rally driving, to name a few.
- Be sociable: Kath has an active social life with her family, and the people she lives at Abbbeyfield with. Each week she takes her 96 year old sister (all 6 siblings survive and are in their eighties and nineties) on an outing to Takapuna, and she enjoys takes an active interest in companionship with others
- Eat well: Kath enjoys food – she ‘eats everything’ she says, and has a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. A diet low in saturated fats is important.
Watch Kath on Video
(Reprinted from Radius Medical, Kath’s sponsor.)
