Two incidents caused Gerald Simons to take his health and fitness seriously as he reached his 40s.

Keen to take his two young sons out on the water Gerald Simons bought an outboard motor to fit to his boat but, unlike the character on the publicity material for the motor who seemed capable of carrying it with ease, Mr. Simons struggled to lift the thing.

Around the same time, aged 40, he had set out to play tennis with a friend and within 10 minutes was sitting on a bench trying to catch his breath.

"I wondered what I would be like at 50 - if I made it. So I joined a gym and started working on my fitness," he said.

The health drive eventually led him to compete in the May 24 Marathon Derby race, not once, but four times during the 1990s.

Healthy living is something that Argus Group promotes for its employers and its customers. CEO Mr. Simons lives that philosophy.

"Nowadays I do a walking and I have taken up golf in anticipation of my retirement. We are going to defend our TB & Cancer tournament trophy at Belmont Hills next month," he said.

"Over the past eight years (as CEO) I have received these invitations to play golf and I'd look around to see who could make a team, then it occurred to me that they really like it when the head of the company shows up. So I took it up, my wife plays it much more seriously however.

His other main pastimes are photography and choral singing. In the early 1970s he worked closely with the National Trust taking pictures of the early Palm Sunday walks and promoting its work.

His choral singing has been a lifelong pursuit, including the church chorus at St. Mary's Church, Berkeley Institute choir, president of the choir of University of Western Ontario and today as a member of the Wesleyan Methodists' Ambassadors of Harmony.

He also enjoys snorkelling, gardening and cooking and is married to Sheilagh Robertson. The couple have two sons, Duncan and Andrew, both of whom are now in their 20s.