2024-07-19 03:55:04
Kim Seon-yeo (63) started mountaineering in the late 1990s when her husband, Shin Jae-cheol (66), the head of the Dongdaemun 60s Soccer Reserve Team in Seoul, started playing soccer. She followed her husband to the mountaineering club every weekend while he played soccer. And since the Dongdaemun Community Welfare Center was built near her house (Jegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul) in 2000, she has been swimming at dawn. She has been swimming every morning and climbing mountains on weekends for the past 25 years.
“I like to move my body. My husband, who I used to spend weekends with, went out to play soccer, so I had to do something, and since there were people hiking around me, I started hiking. I also like to play in the water, so there was a swimming pool near my house. I signed up right away.”
In about 4 months, I learned all 4 strokes (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly). And unless something special came up, I went to the pool at dawn almost every day without fail and swam for an hour. While swimming, which is a full-body workout, I gained about 5kg. Fat was lost and muscles were increased. This is a natural phenomenon that occurs because muscles are heavier than fat. My body shape also became more elastic. Because of this, people around me say, “I look much younger than my age.”
Since the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2020, I started going to soccer fields with my husband because I couldn’t swim. Most sports facilities in the metropolitan area including Seoul were closed, but some soccer fields in the provinces were open. So on Saturdays, I followed my husband to his soccer games and cheered him on. Now, my routine is to cheer on my husband’s soccer games on Saturdays and go hiking on Sundays.
“I didn’t know soccer was this fun. It’s so much fun cheering on my husband’s team as they run around the field. I followed them not only for the day trips, but also for the 1-night, 2-day trips to Gangwon and Pyeongchang. When I went for the 1-night, 2-day trips, I enjoyed chatting with many people at the pension while eating delicious food. Since I followed them, the wives of other members also came out, and we formed a cheering squad of 3 or 4 people. We even gave food and drinks to the opposing team. Now, if the opposing team doesn’t know me, they’re spies. The opposing team members also brought me the president’s items and nutritional supplements. On Saturdays, I cheer loudly, and on Sundays, I quietly climb the mountain.”
Her interest in soccer has also increased. She often watches the English Premier League, where Son Heung-min (Tottenham) plays, domestic professional soccer, and the Korean national soccer team with her husband. She said she tried to play soccer herself, but gave up because no team would accept her because she was too old, and now she just cheers.
He said that he climbed all 100 famous mountains in Korea, although he didn’t count them exactly. He climbed the mountain four times a month for about 30 years, so even if he missed a few times due to work, the number of times he climbed the mountain is well over 1,000. The mountain gave him many things. He climbed the mountain for an average of 4 to 5 hours, and sometimes 6 to 7 hours, so his cardiopulmonary endurance and physical strength improved. Because of this, he was able to learn swimming easily. He said, “The mountain has good air, and there are many things to see, such as flowers, trees, rocks, and streams. It’s hard to climb, but when you reach the top and look down, you feel a sense of accomplishment, as if you own the world.” He also recently visited Hallasan Mountain in Jeju.
Even after moving to Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu, Seoul five years ago, Kim still swims at dawn at the Dongdaemun Community Welfare Center. He said, “I take the subway to Jegi-dong at dawn and start swimming at 6 a.m.” Swimming is a source of vitality in my life. If I skip it even for a day, my body gets tired and my day becomes a mess. After sweating profusely in the water and taking a shower, my body feels light as if it could fly. That makes my day enjoyable. After swimming, I go to my husband’s factory (which makes scarves and handkerchiefs) near the community center to help out. Kim laughed and said, “My husband and I are always together except when I go swimming or hiking. People say, ‘Are you still doing that?’ but they envy me.”
Kim is also learning quilting (making patterns with sewing) these days. He said, “I do it as a hobby because they say it’s good for preventing dementia.” Her husband, Shin, said, “My wife moves all day long. I’ve never seen her rest.” Kim said, “Even if she plays music at home and goes back and forth, she doesn’t take a nap. I feel alive when I move around and do something.” Shin said, “I like the way my wife works hard and stays healthy.”
Yang Jong-gu, Sports Department Deputy Director [email protected]
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2024-07-19 03:55:04