Legendary runner Flying Phil dies at 104
Published:Mar 01, 2008
[b]One of South Africa’s greatest athletes, Philip “Flying Phil” Rabinowitz, has died at the age of 104.
He first made international headlines in 2004 when he became the fastest 100-year-old to run 100m in a time of 30.86 seconds. [/b] :eek:
He turned 104 just two weeks ago but suffered a stroke last Saturday and was admitted to hospital in Cape Town, where he died on Friday.
He is survived by his daughters, Joyce Kruger and Valerie Smith, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
For years Rabinowitz featured in The Guinness Book of Records as the oldest competitive walker — something he was very proud of.
“Every time I run I just feel younger and younger. I’m not quitting any time soon. As long as I can get up in the morning I will run and walk,” he said after breaking the world record.
Rabinowitz walked between 20km and 25km every week, drank fresh orange juice every morning, ate fish and chicken and “lots of veggies and three apples a day”.
— Nashira Davids