Man in His 80s, Swapped a Life-Threatening Habit for a Gym Membership at 54 to Become a Champion Bodybuilder

Age is just a number. And Jim Shaffer has proved it. Even in his 80s, the fitness enthusiast has been hitting the gym and feels good about himself. Notably, Shaffer had a deadly habit that led his life to danger until one day when he did right by himself. Shaffer was a chain smoker till 54, and to power through such a killer habit, this Chicago-born fitness junkie opted for a gym membership. After all, old habits die hard.

Until he joined the gym, the Shaffer didn’t know about his hidden passion. In fact, he even competed in contests, showing off his physique. For him, bodybuilding became a reason to better his lifestyle.

Chain smoker found retreat in bodybuilding

Jim Shaffer spent his childhood in Chicago and was in a Doo-Wop group called the Premiers. After dabbling with some different job profiles, Jim wanted to do something else. And after working initially at a shoe store and then at a restaurant, he found his resort in powerlifting. As per a 2019 Facebook post by Growing Bolder, he always knew the stage was his place, and that helped him to manifest himself as a bodybuilder, regardless of his age.

After being a smoker for a long time, Shaffer thought about changing his habits and eventually prioritized his health. Wondering what he should do to curb his urges, the then 54-year-old man took a gym membership. The gym became his safe retreat. In the blink of an eye, things started falling in place again. “I just kept cranking it up another notch”, shared Jim talking about his new addiction.

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After a period, the gym became Shaffer’s second home. Just then, some of his gym mates suggested him to take part in the competitions. He chose to compete and came up last in a competition. However, losing didn’t shake his confidence. He kept competing and started winning. In fact, Jim started to help others. Besides his workouts, he trains others who are specially-abled.

Jim Shaffer is indeed the embodiment of the belief that if you can keep your mind over matter, every barrier curbs on its own. What do you think about their resilience? Let us know in the comments.

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