Mrs. Nguyen Thi Viet Dung, 84 years old, lives with her son in Uong Bi (Quang Ninh). She was formerly a lecturer in the field of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Mrs. Dung's day typically begins at 4 am with a 7-10 km run in an hour, followed by work until 9:30 pm before resting. Her responsibilities include managing a private clinic opened by her son at home and being a housewife.
Her daily job is managing a private clinic at her home. (Photo: Le Linh)
When asked about her passion for running, she shared: "When I was younger, I loved several sports like badminton and volleyball... In the last two years, seeing my son participate in marathon races, I started to try it too."
"Initially, I ran in short bursts, then rested, but it became a habit, and I now run 10 km regularly every morning. I don't try to force myself to run fast; what's important is running at a leisurely pace to listen to my body. Sometimes I even enjoy the scenery while running, taking the opportunity to connect with nature. I feel like my body is being massaged and relaxed, and I'm getting healthier."
Many people were surprised to see the 84-year-old woman running 10 km every morning, participating in races with distances up to 12 km. Some advised her to give it up.
When registering for the VnExpress race, the organizers were very worried about her age and called to ask if she could run. Ms. Dung then shared her daily running habit to reassure the organizers. As a result, she successfully completed the 12km distance.
Ms. Viet Dung is passionate about running and participates in competitions. (Photo: Provided by the subject)
In the marathon running community, almost everyone knows Mr. Dung because he registers to participate in races every year. Some notable races he has participated in recently include: the Ha Long Heritage International Marathon (November 2023), the "Connecting Vietnam" Marathon (December 2023) in Mong Cai City (Quang Ninh), and the Hung Temple Spirituality Marathon - "Returning to the Roots" (April 2024) in Phu Tho.
Most recently, on April 20, 2024, she participated in the "Sea and Islands in the Northeast" marathon held on Vinh Thuc Island (Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh province) with a distance of 12 km and finished after 1 hour of running.
Ms. Dung recounted that since the age of 45, she had suffered from aches and pains in her knees and leg joints, and later developed heart failure with frequent irregular heartbeats. Since starting to jog, she feels healthier and her body is more flexible.
"Since I started walking, running, and being more active, I no longer have joint pain, and my heart is fine too. I find exercise very good for my health. People say that if you're sick, you shouldn't exercise, but in my opinion, you have to exercise to get healthier. Many people my age can't stand up, sit down, or sit cross-legged, but I can do it comfortably because I exercise diligently."The elderly woman, nearly 90 years old, smiled, her face glowing with rosy skin.
Besides focusing on maintaining her health, Ms. Viet Dung is also eager to learn about information technology and use social media. When she first started running, Ms. Dung proactively researched health precautions for the elderly when running, through online newspapers and social media.
Ms. Dung is also proficient in using social media platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, and YouTube, sharing songs she plays and sings on YouTube. Her uploaded videos receive tens of thousands of views and many likes. Currently, her YouTube channel features dozens of cover songs such as "Hello," "When I Need You," and "My Heart Will Go On."
Every day, Ms. Dung plays and sings, then uploads the songs to her own YouTube channel. (Photo: Le Linh)
Speaking about her reasons for learning English, she shared: "I love English songs but didn't have the opportunity to learn them formally. So I decided to teach myself through YouTube, by learning to sing, write letters, and read newspapers in English. I started learning when I was almost 60 years old, and now I'm proficient in listening, speaking, reading, and writing."
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