A jovial character, Mr Wong Wing Cheong, 92, is a testament that ageing well is not an impossible feat.

When asked how he manages to keep his energy levels up and stay mentally alert, the friendly and cheerful 92-year-old attributes it to a variety of activities he engages in daily.

Mr Wong enjoys reading the newspapers and watching the news every day, keeping his mind active and up-to-date with current affairs.  On some days, he even goes deep-sea fishing or plays mahjong with his friends, and occasionally, he travels overseas.

Nevertheless, Mr Wong and his wife makes it a point to participate in AWWA Senior Activity Centre (SAC) daily, where they have been members for over 16 years. Activities run by SAC promotes social participation and encourages seniors to engage in physical exercises, such as morning walks and stretching exercises.  Mr Wong has since overcome diabetes after he started exercising.

He also shares, with much passion, about his past occupation as a restaurant chef for over 30 years, where he was a supervisor to younger chefs. Now that he’s retired, he whips up healthy meals for him and his 87-year-old wife daily, consuming fresh produce and using less salt and oil. On weekends, he often prepares a spread for his whole family, sometimes 20 family members at a time!

More recently, Mr Wong won a cooking competition organised by SAC, of which he speaks proudly of!

Debunking all stereotypes of ageing, what is Mr Wong’s secret? He believes that positive thinking is the key. Mr Wong advises against dwelling on negative thoughts and having a positive outlook on life. He attributes his good health to mainly being open-minded, letting go of things that trouble him and being less stressed.

Though it takes conscious effort to keep a positive state of mind and a healthy body, it is still possible with good levels of physical, mental and social activities.

Hearing Mr Wong’s story reminds us of the simple yet golden advice that could help us change our perspectives on ageing and life.