Culver City resident Hiro Moriyasu is 70 years old, but he doesn’t allow his age to hold him back when it comes to the activities that he loves. He’s a professional table-tennis player and runner, and he’s overcome injuries over the years as he’s achieved numerous goals.
Moriyasu started playing table-tennis in Japan at the age of 16, and his team was ranked in the top 16 in that nation. Years later, here in the United States, he suffered a muscle injury but, after healing, completed the Boston Marathon twice. The man doesn’t believe in giving up.
Arriving in the United States in 1973 to study, Moriyasu didn’t take part in athletics for many years, as school, work and family took over. But in his senior years, he rediscovered his love for running, as well as table-tennis.
Moriyasu is currently competing in the 2017 National Senior Games, presented by Humana. The event takes place in Birmingham, Alabama, and Moriyasu has been selected among 10,000 adults over the age of 50, nationwide.
This will be his fourth national tournament, and Moriyasu never comes home empty-handed.
“In Cleveland, I won a gold, a silver and a bronze – one of each,” he said. “At the last one in Minnesota, I didn’t do as well. I only won two medals. I get something every time I go.”
Moriyasu says that the secret to his long, healthy life has been rediscovering running, and quitting smoking at the same time.
“At high school in Japan, running was part of my table-tennis training, for endurance,” he said. “When I quit smoking and started running again, I couldn’t run a mile without being exhausted. I had to slowly build up again.”
He did exactly that, until he was good enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Unfortunately, the first year he qualified, he tore a muscle and couldn’t take part.
“I was crying In the doctor’s office,” he said. “But then I qualified the following two years and did run. I didn’t do very well though – Boston’s very cold.”
In addition, Moriyasu has been selected as a Humana Game Changer — an athlete who represents every age and ability and provides encouragement, motivation and inspiration for all seniors to start with healthy.
Dr. Jeffrey McManus, California Medical Director for Humana, said that Moriyasu exemplifies what it means to be a Humana Game Changer.
“He’s a very passionate guy,” McManus said. “He had a muscle injury, and so many seniors become sedentary after an injury like that but that’s not his style at all. He proves that aging doesn’t mean getting old.”