copied from the internet
After his wife's funeral, Fauja moved in with his son, making the long journey from a small Indian village to London. Spending whole days sitting at home didn't feel healthy to this retired farmer, not to mention depressing. Seeing joggers fill up city parks every morning made Fauja wonder – why don't I give running a try too?
Except, he never planned on running marathons. But, he got into it over time. After eight years of training, Fauja, at 89 years old, finished the London marathon in less than seven hours. He didn't stop there. Three years later, at 92, he then ran a marathon distance in five hours and 40 minutes. It turned out that in the “above 90” age category, he beat the world record.
As a result, Adidas invited Fauja to be a part of their advertising campaign, titled “The Impossible is Possible.”
This is how Fauja Singh became a global celebrity and started his athletic career at 90. In the last 12 years, he participated in the London marathon eight times, finishing every time. This retired Indian farmer took to his new role as celebrity athlete quite easily.
“God wants me to be the oldest marathon runner on Earth,” he says. “And, since all we do is already lined out by the Almighty, I'm simply his soldier carrying out his will.”
To stay in shape, Fauja walks and runs a total distance of 15 kilometers per day. He avoids smoking, fried food, alcohol, and (as much as possible) encounters with unpleasant people. And, he smiles a lot.
“The first twenty miles of a marathon are easy for me,” says Fauja. “And, the last six, I run, talking to God.”
More about Fauja http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauja_Singh
