A fitness legend

A fitness legend...

April 17, 2013

By: Gina Yoryet Roman

A sound mind in a sound body...

This past weekend I was invited to spend the weekend in Bucerias Nayarit. This year and last, I got an invite from a friend of mine, (he’s more some sort of mentor, a guidance, a role model), to spend a couple of days at his house to relax and refresh my mind. 

Both times that I’ve been there, it’s been as relaxing as ever because I got to take in the marvelous beauty and quiet of nature, but more than anything, I had a chance to talk to J. G. K., my friend’s father, a lovely and wise man who has traveled to every single corner of the world and has the answer to everything I inquire. A man who had it all together from a very early age on. 

J. G. K.., is always very warm and welcome, making me yearn a grandfather like him. He took us to Adauto’s on the beach, an exquisite sea-food restaurant bar where we took in the beautiful view of the sunset. In the middle of dinner and a few drinks later, the fun progressed, so I dared to ask him if I could interview him after he mentioned that he had been a professional swimmer from age nine to seventy-four.

I was somewhat twitchy at the beginning but after getting the courage, here’s the turnout.

Full name: J. G. K. 

Nationality: American with a mix of Serbian, Slovenian and Croatian

Age: 86

Date of birth: August 13, 1926

Occupation: Retired

Divorced: First marriage: 25 years, had six children. Second marriage: 5 years, 0 children with second wife. 

Currently residence: Almost six months in Nayarit and the rest of the time in Seattle Washington because the U. S. social security administration does not allow its citizens to live outside the U. S. for more than six months in order to consider them a resident.

His daily (work) routine: It is very broken, it variates.

He wakes up at 5:30am, or before sunrise

1. Reads for a while
2. Has a healthy breakfast
3. Waters plants
4. Paints
5. Works 3-4 hours a day, sometimes 8 hours. Overall, he works half a day
6. Has a light and healthy lunch (sea food, chicken, turkey ham, veggies, light and greaseless meals)
7. Doesn’t have late dinner.
8. Goes to bed at 8 or 9pm and he reads some more before going to sleep.
9. Fitness routine: When he’s in Seattle he swims every other day, he does less physical work. That’s why when he’s in Guadalajara, he makes up for it by swimming every day. Time spent in the pool: It fluctuates: 20-30 minutes, sometimes longer. His aqua workouts variate from: calisthenics, running, jumping. His motto at this age is, more frequency less intensity, more quality, less quantity. As people get older, we have to do longer workouts as opposed to intensity. The KEY to aging: STRETCH IT OUT! DON’T DO TOO MUCH TOO SOON! It takes longer to warm up. Older people have to be careful with our body because we shrink, but more myself because of the illness I was diagnosed with shingles (shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, the herpes varicella-zoster virus, or simply the zoster virus).

Despite that disadvantage he is overall healthy. Doctors tell him to keep doing what he’s doing!

Other hobbies: 

1. Reading about a diveristy of topics for 2-3 hours a day
2. Took a course about eye exercises plus other practice for two years
3. Was a sailor for 15 years every summer
4. When he was in 6th grade he had read all the books in the children’s section
5. Charity work: Doing/building/painting, medical assistant projects in foreign countries
6. Counting ex-girlfriends
7. Travel and visit his children and grandchildren
8. Play bocce ball (a ball sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire. Developed into its present form in Italy). 
9. Used to go to concerts
10. Has been living in Nayarit for 37 years, he knows many people and he always has friends coming over for a swim,  play cards, play bocce ball, chess, or simply chat.
11. Visit Archeology and Anthropology museums and get an analysis of institutions from an anthropological perspective.

Health & fitness background:

1. Did water polo
2. Was a professional swimmer from age 9 to 74 at an international level
3. Played American football
4. Did wrestling
5. Swimming instructor in the Military
6. Lifeguard
7. Weight lifting
8. Studied anatomy - the functions of the body since he was 10 years old
9. Plays bocci ball
10. Does physical work around the house
11. Played baseball
12. Played hockey

Fitness goal: 

1. Fight shingles
2. Get a study to find out what’s causing nervous pressure on his left abdominal side. He wants to be able to walk properly. If there’s no cure, he will have to learn to live with it. 
3. He doesn’t have any major problems with his lungs, heart, liver or anything so he wants to remain like that.

The best part of making health and fitness a lifestyle:

It keeps you vibrant, sharp, useful, healthy, psychosomatic, clean mind, body, soul, and spirit, your whole central system remains clean. If your body is in good shape, your brain can function better. 

Previous professional profile:

1. B. A. in Psychology
2. Clinical experience
3. He's a debate coach
4. Is currently studying Geology - he wants to know how “this or that piece was created.” 
5. Taught Geography at college level
6. Taught Psychology at High School level
7. Pioneered teaching of psychology for Advanced High School students 
8. Studied/taught History, Economics, Political Science, Philosophy, Business, Anatomy, Biological Sciences, Anthropology, etc.
9. The University of Washington in Seattle has owned his brain since he was 81 years old. A health organization looked for long-term study on aging. He unexpectedly got a letter via email about Physiology and Chemistry of the brain and why older people develop brain problems such as, Parkinson disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s, etc. Therefore, if/when he passes away an immediate autopsy needs to be done for his brain to be donated to them. He pays a visit to them every other year to get his brain studied and gets updates. 

Life goal:

1. Enjoy his family, his community, do noble work, charity/volunteer work, help younger people stay in school and become successful.

His advice to young athletes:

Never give them unsolicited advice. Only answer their questions based on knowledge range. Only give advice when asked, in other words, wait for someone to come to you. This is a general principle to everyone since he doesn’t have direct contact with any young athletes. 

His advice to people who want to lose weight.

1. Take it seriously
2. Be on the look for the right type of fat - FDA claims that there’s 0% sugar in natural juices but there in reality the sugar content is very high. 
3. Watch what goes in your body
4. Burn more than what you eat
5. Keep constant movement
6. The same thing doesn’t work for everyone
7. Eat smaller portions
8. Watch the frequency
9. Increase sea food intake
10. Drop red meat intake
11. Make health and fitness a lifestyle, not only a temporary change
12. Get enough sleep
13. Lower your sugar intake
14. Eat high quality food

What is the reason for Mexico’s children to be number 1 in overweight and obesity and the U. S. number one in adult overweight and obesity?

1. Lack of movement
2. Consumption of grease, sugar and low quality food is very high

How can this change? 

1. More movement
2. Less time in computer, tv, video games, give up sluggish lifestyle
3. Eat better quality foods
4. Drink more water
5. Have a cleaner diet
6. Adopt a permanent healthy lifestyle

I am amazed at his entire profile. Steve Harvey, Author of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, must've been guided by J. G. K's principles.  "I cannot afford to mess up personally, financially, physically or spiritually." Mr. Harvey implied these words in that particular book.


Some day I want to build a legacy like his!