Going strong: Buatin climbing Mount Kinabalu at 90. — Photo sourced from social media
KOTA KINABALU: Nonagenarian Buatin Blandong has always lived an active life, from jogging long distances to cycling, boxing and to even learning silat.
Due to his immense love for sports and being active physically, he rarely went a day without going for his jogs and exercise, even at 90 now.
Recently, the former Sabah State Railway Department employee broke a record he “accidentally” created in 2015, by once again becoming the nation’s oldest man to scale Mount Kinabalu.
“Back in 2015, I climbed Mount Kinabalu and after returning home, I found that news about me successfully completing the hike as the oldest Malaysian, was in almost every local newspaper,” Buatin said.
He was 83-years-old back then.
“I did not think of creating any record during that time but when the papers reported my achievement, I vowed to do it again to break my own record,” he said when met at his children’s house in Putatan near here.
Recalling his preparations to make the Sept 5 climb, he said he had started training intensely since early this year.
The father of five went for his jogs and hiked a hill for a distance of 12km almost everyday.
“There is a cemetery that I have to pass by but I just put my concerns and occasional fear aside, telling the spirits to not disturb me as I was just there to exercise,” Buatin joked.
As the dates for his hike neared, he prayed more and visited a priest to get his blessings for his mission.
He also did a health examination prior to that just to certify that he was fit enough to do the climb.
“On the day of us heading up to the summit, I actually passed out for a few seconds, but regained consciousness after that,” said Buatin.
He said it was raining both the days he scaled the mountain, but he managed to get through the cold, with a backache and light-headedness.
“I have to really thank my guide, family and friends for supporting me and assisting me throughout this climb,” he said.
Buatin reached the summit at 2.20pm on Sept 5, and made it down to the starting point at Timpohon Gate at 6.15pm the next day.
He said although the time taken to complete this climb was longer than the average climber, it did not matter because he made it.
He said he could run down the mountain after reaching the peak when he was much younger and stronger.
“But now, I walk slowly. I take shorter steps,” said Buatin, who hopes his story can inspire others to also pursue their dreams regardless of age.
He wants his achievement to encourage more Sabahans to try scaling Mount Kinabalu, and do things they thought they couldn’t.
Asked how he managed to stay fit until today, he said a healthy diet plus regular exercise and taking supplements were what he lived by.
He, however, said that each person has different body types and they should practise what works best for them to stay healthy and strong.
