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By Horaci Garcia and Nina Lopez<\/p>\n
SANTA SUSANNA, Spain, Oct 30 (Reuters) \u2013 Nonagenarian Japanese bodybuilder Toshisuke Kanazawa took to the stage on Spain\u2019s Costa del Maresme on Friday, aiming to prove that age is no \u200bbarrier to peak physical fitness.<\/p>\n
The 90-year-old travelled to the coastal town \u200cof Santa Susanna to compete against rivals decades his junior in the masters category for athletes aged 50 and older in a competition held by the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.<\/p>\n
Backstage, Kanazawa mirrored the preparations of younger competitors, warming up with his team and applying \u200cspray tan \u200bbefore flexing under the stage lights.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to \u2060try doing things that nobody \u2060else has done, and more than anything I want to pursue bodybuilding for the rest of my life,\u201d Kanazawa said.<\/p>\n
Kanazawa credits his longevity and conditioning to strict dietary habits, saying that a routine established decades ago has \u200bkept him robust.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something I\u2019ve been researching and want to learn more about. But ever since I turned 50, I\u2019ve been building muscle by \u2060eating a purely Japanese diet: brown rice, \u2060natto (a fermented soya bean dish)), and miso soup,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s \u200breally the classic Japanese way of eating. And thanks to that, I\u2019ve gone 90 \u200byears without ever getting sick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though he did not finish on the \u200cpodium, Kanazawa remains focused on pushing the sport\u2019s boundaries, outlining plans for one final appearance before stepping away from competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m thinking I might give it one more go at 93. After that, I\u2019ll probably have to retire,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs \u2060you get older, you start developing wrinkles, quite a lot of them. In Japan, there\u2019s this idea that once you get those wrinkles, it just doesn\u2019t look very \u2060good anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Kanazawa hopes \u200chis perseverance inspires older generations to remain active and challenge \u2060conventional limits.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce you set your mind to something, you \u200bneed to \u200cdevelop the mental strength and determination to see it \u200bthrough no \u2060matter what,\u201d Kanazawa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want people to work hard just as I have. I believe that if they do, we\u2019ll see more people like me even as they get older. That\u2019s what I hope for, and I want to be a good role model.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Reporting by Horaci Garcia and Nina Lopez; Writing by Rory Carroll; \u200bEditing by Tom Hogue)<\/p>\n