GUINNESS World Records believes superstar muscle man Ray Moon is the oldest competing bodybuilder in the world. The Thornbury man, who will turn 80 this year, has won four Victorian and Australian bodybuilding competitions and is tipped to become the oldest bodybuilder on the globe.
Mr Moon has had polio, open-heart surgery, suffered a cardiac arrest and was once pronounced clinically dead. He has had a pacemaker fitted, has suffered a twisted bowel, two minor strokes, a hernia and prostate problems, but instead of giving up he hit the gym.
"Give up never ever won a race," he said. "I hit a hurdle a couple of years ago and then I walked past this gym. "I thought 'I might get up here and get my head together' and that's how I started."
The pensioner only began bodybuilding five years ago and does five strength and cardio training sessions a week, including 4km on the treadmill and 45 minutes of weight training.
"I'm nowhere nearly as good as these fellows who are 50 or 60. But age is no barrier. Life is what you make it." Mr Moon worked in the hospitality industry for 64 years, and even cooked for the Queen.
He said he was stoked with the Guinness Record and hoped to one day meet the oldest female bodybuilder. "I bet she's overseas though," he said.
Mr Moon is training for his sixth National Amateur Body Building Association championship in May. He may feature in the 2010 Guinness Book of Records.
