Summary:
- At 69, former pastor James Lee defies age expectations with 11 Mount Kinabalu climbs, a second-dan black belt in taekwondo, and a fitness journey that began only at 55.
- Once a sickly child and later hampered by knee pain, James credits his achievements to perseverance and dedication.
- Now an advocate for senior fitness, he hopes to inspire others to set bold goals. He even plans to start morning taekwondo classes for older adults to stay active in body and mind.
For most people, getting into exercise only at the age of 55 probably means gentle jogging or an occasional splash in the pool.
James Lee’s fitness resolutions, however, were a little more ambitious. Think a yearly trip up Sabah’s Mount Kinabalu (4,095m). Or, for his 65th birthday, a black belt in taekwondo.
It sounds out of reach to most of us, but the now 69-year-old has another way of describing it.
As it stands, the current track record for the former pastor is 11 times on the summit of Malaysia’s tallest mountain (unlike these more accessible gunungs) – his first go at Mount Kinabalu was after just three months of training – and a second-dan black belt in the Korean martial art, having practised it for only 25 months.
James’ feats are made all the more impressive by the fact that he was once considered a sickly child and barred from exercising by his parents.
The silver also has a bum knee, though he says that his pain finally went away after years of physiotherapy – hence his golden-age fitness goals.
"So when I heard that a group of young people from my church were planning to hike Mount Kinabalu, I decided to join them!"
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From climbing stairs to ascending mountains
James recalls his first pre-hike physical training session.
"I was so tired after just one lap. I had half a mind to quit right then and there (laughs)."
But he stuck to it, even as the training got harder and longer.
The silver summited the mountain on 30 May, 2010. It’s a date that he still remembers offhand today, even after repeating the hike another 10 times.
In the years since, he’s went on to conquer other treks including Indonesia’s Mount Rinjani (3,726m) and the hike to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal (4,130m).
Started taekwondo as a birthday wish
But as the discussion was happening, Singapore was still in the throes of Covid-19 lockdowns. He put his plan on hold until fate reminded him of his plans once again.
"I remember texting the number. The admin on the other end of the line asked, 'How old are you?', and I replied 67. His reply was just, 'I see…'"
As it turned out, that admin was Yoon Daeung, the founder and principal of the martial arts institute, which has 11 outlets in Singapore and another two in South Korea.
Like his initial mountain climbing experience before, James’ maiden taekwondo class almost sent him packing. The kicks, the spins, the jumps – these moves were all new to him, and taxing even for his wiry frame.
"But unbeknownst to me, there were actually some classmates who were making small side bets about how long I'd last."
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Ascending taekwondo's ranks
Similar to many other martial art forms, taekwondo demarcates a practitioner’s rank by the colour and stripes of their belt.
Promoting to a higher rank entails a test adjudicated by the local federation. The components include a sparring process, where test-takers demonstrate certain skills and patterns, as well as the breaking of boards with kicks and punches.
James went from a white belt – a complete beginner – to a black belt, the highest rank achievable for students, in under two years.
He then went on to secure his second-dan stripes, signifying a deeper understanding of taekwondo principles and an advanced level of proficiency in the martial art.
Credit: Alexander Ee
He also participated in competitions like the International Taekwondo Masters Open Championship 2024, where he walked away with a shiny gold medal.
His progression is fast, but the silver says it’s more an extension of his dedication than any prodigious ability. The dojo holds classes twice a week, and James says he’s there “more than 95% of the time.”
Injuries and tweaks usually aren’t a problem for the senior as he takes his warmups seriously. In any case, the instructors often switch up their training plans to accommodate for older fighters.
James’ ardour for the martial art has reached the point that he’s even thinking about how to work with the institute to start a morning class for seniors.
"And though you might not think about it, there’s a lot of memory work. We have to remember the patterns and teach our body how to move in certain ways."
