90-year-old with Parkinson’s enters weightlifting contest

A 90-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease was cheered on by three generations of her family as she competed in an over-70s weightlifting competition in Taipei, Taiwan.

In the three-round competition, Cheng Chen Chin-Mei lifted 35, 40 and 45 kg.

“I want to tell all the elderly to join the gym. You don’t need to work very hard, but this is to keep your health,” said Cheng Chen.

Competition officials say the event is aimed at helping the elderly in Taipei, as the country prepares to become a “very old society”: a designation given to countries with at least 21 percent of the population aged 65 and over.

Taiwan aims to establish 288 fitness clubs for the elderly across the country by 2025, with reports showing an average age of 48.7 by 2030.