Monday, August 18, 2008 Super Lolo By Luis A. Quibranza III
THIS explosive man’s feat and feet will blow you away.
The 80-year-old Alberto “Nene” Miranda is one grandpa you don’t want to mess with.
He’s so cool, he settles for more than cross-stitching and bird-watching for his pastime favorites and is into barefoot skiing instead. He went barefoot skiing last year.
“Wow. He must have started really young in training and stuff to be able to do that until his old age,” you might be asking yourself right now.
“I started barefoot skiing when I was 70 years old. I remember the first time.It felt really thrilling,” Miranda says.
Surprised? In fact, he might be the country’s oldest barefoot skier to date.
Barefoot skiing is a hybrid water sport. It involves the skier having to grab on to a line
attached to a speedboat. And while being dragged at high speeds.
“Barefooting” requires the skier to travel at higher speeds than conventional water skiing. The skier should muster enough bravado to stand on his bare feet.
And as soon the skier achieves his desired balance, he simply (or at least at simple as it
looks) stands up against the waves and well, waves to the cameraman at the speedboat.
When asked about his secret for being healthy and staying young, he simply attributes “swimming, weight-lifting, brisk-walking and biking” as his secrets to being fit.
“I’m also careful not to overeat,” he shares.
Once in awhile from his place in Banilad, Cebu, he’d drive down south and go by land all the way to Negros. When in his place in Sibulan, he keeps his big roadster bike, the “seawolf” speedboat, and most of his gym equipments.
And in his free time, he likes to train horses. He cites that his passions in life are riding his motorcycle and barefoot skiing.
Is this man fearless? Is it really possible in this world today? An iron heart existing
with a face set like flint, with eyes able to stare deep into a gaze – ending in a pursuit of greater things?
There’s just something extraordinary about this man. I just had to ask him: Super lolo, what are you afraid of?
“Not going to heaven when it’s time to return home to the Lord,” he says
Perhaps his rock-steady faith is where the true fountain of youth flows. And in abundance he drinks all that he can from the waters.
These here are super lolo’s words for us who’s decades behind him, if we want to achieve a longer lifespan and still able to go skydiving:
“Early to sleep early to rise, keep moving, no alcohol and smoking. And of course, pray a lot.”
