Booysen participated in the national championships in Bloemfontein last weekend
Booysen has always been active and started running at the age of six.
Hendrik Booysen’s active lifestyle has kept him fit and healthy over the years.
The 62-year-old started running at school at the age of six and performed well throughout his schooling career.
After working as a physical trainer in the army, Booysen carried on with his active lifestyle.
“Running is a part of my life.
“I get frustrated if I’m not active and I feel sluggish,” says Booysen.
The runner trains throughout the year and enjoys both track and field activities as well as cross-country during the off-season.
Booysen, who is a part of Masters Athletics South Africa, which is for non-professionals aged 35 years and older, competed in the national championships in Bloemfontein last year.
The Geduld resident came back with two silver medals for the 200m and 400m respectively, and a bronze for the 800m.
Booysen also competed in the provincial championships in Germiston where he got first place.
This remarkable achievement means Booysen collected eight medals in just six weeks.
Booysen now ranks 18th in the world’s World Masters Ranking for the 400m and is 19th in the world for the 800m race.
Although he enjoys the sport, Booysen struggles with the travelling costs associated with the sport.
To support himself, Booysen also coaches professional athletes and those who want to learn how to run.
“People don’t always believe that I can run this fast, especially given my age.
“The other benefit of running is that I can eat whatever I want to eat. I just run it off the next day,” says Booysen.
When not running, Booysen enjoys sketching in pencil, editing music and converting videos into DVDs.
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