THERE can’t be too many, if any, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Premiers or other leaders who will be remembered for anything other than their contributions within the political arena.

But then again there aren’t too many in this world who have such a zest for life as David Saul.

While he may have been seen by some as an effective Bermuda Premier and before that a competent Minister of Finance, and no doubt those in the PLP will take exception to those descriptions, nobody can dispute his athletic prowess.

His legacy will be that he’s proven there’s no such thing as ‘old age’.

Instantly recognisable by his ear to ear smile and waving hand, Saul has been pounding the local roads for more than half a century and at the age of 70 he’s showing no signs of easing up.

What’s more remarkable is the fact that he’s doing so after battling prostate cancer and suffering a heart attack.

He’ll be the first to tell you that if he wasn’t as fit as he is, he may not have recovered from either.

In short, he’s an inspiration to anyone who might think that once the pension cheque arrives in the post, life’s as good as over.

Since retiring from politics, Saul has made his presence felt in so many ways, whether it be under the ocean, on top of the ocean – he also enjoys kayaking – and, of course, on the road.

Over International Race Weekend, there he was again romping home among the top third of the 10K field in a very respectable 51 minutes – just six months after his heart gave out.

But who would have expected anything less. He’s never let a couple of health hiccups get in his way.

Ten over-70s were included in that 10K race, Saul finishing third among them. It was a division won by regular visitor, 70-year-old Syd Howard, a world champion on the track in his age division.

Saul was once Bermuda’s 10-mile record holder and in the ‘80s was one of three over-40 runners who took the first three places in the annual Princess to Princess Race – Ray Swan and Jeff Payne were the other two who taught the young guns a thing or two on that memorable day. It was a feat that has never been equalled.

Outside of sport, he’s led the ‘Buy Back Bermuda’ campaign and was instrumental in the building and operation of the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI).

But it’s probably his lifelong love of running that has made him stand out more than anything else, adding credence to the adage that age is only a number.

You can bet that in another 10 years nothing will have changed. His name will still be on the May 24 Derby entry list and any other race that he can squeeze in between his round-the-world travels.

Hot on his heels here in Bermuda are a few others who have also demonstrated that age is no excuse for not keeping fit.

At 67, former restaurateur Antun Duzevic completed the full Marathon Triangle Challenge – racing in Friday night’s mile, Saturday’s 10K and Sunday’s 26.2 miler. Even at his age, he was the first Bermudian to finish that Challenge. And he ran the marathon in an amazing three hours, and 36 minutes.

Peggy Couper, another who has been a regular fixture on the local road running scene for three decades or more, won the over-60 division in the Half-Marathon. And similarly, 62-year-old Will Collieson was the first home in that category in the same 13-mile event.

It’s worth noting that in that half-marathon, there were six runners over 70 who completed the course.

And while on the subject of golden oldies, it would be remiss not to mention evergreen martial artist Skipper Ingham who, at the age of 79, placed second in an event in the US last weekend.

Over the hill at 40? Hardly!

All of the above have demonstrated that at that age, life’s only just begun.

And there’s been no better example than David Saul who, as a former Premier, has shown that rising to the top of the political ladder isn’t the be all and end all. In his case, it’s only been a small piece of life’s jigsaw.

Maybe some of our current politicians will take note. As they say, healthy body, healthy mind.

– ADRIAN ROBSON