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Lawrence Journal-World | February 16, 2020 | 1C
‘KEEPS ME YOUNG’
Lauren Fox / Journal-World Photo
Jeff Matsui does a boxing workout at Thatchers’ Training Center on Friday.
Lawrence residents say it’s never too late to learn a new discipline By Lauren Fox lfox@ljworld.com
A
t the age of 49, Jeff Matsui asked himself what he was passionate about. It’s a standard question to contemplate when making a career or life change, he said, and Matsui was in the middle of both. He had just returned to the United States after living in Japan for 26 years, where he met his wife and worked as a
“(People) forget life is all about change. And if you don’t embrace it, you get old.”
— Jeff Matsui, certified personal trainer
manager at an IT company. When they moved back, Matsui decided to change his professional course to study personal training. Now, Matsui, 52, is a certified personal trainer and works out six days a week at Thatchers’ Training Center,
where he is one of the oldest clients. Through learning from the trainers there and being surrounded by younger, more sprightly peers, Matsui said he’s discovered the importance of having an open mind. Change can be tough for some people, he said, adding:
“They forget life is all about change. And if you don’t embrace it, you get old.” Matsui is one of three Lawrence residents the JournalWorld interviewed who are more than 50 years old and are embracing change through the study of a new discipline.
‘It keeps me young’ Matsui was 50 when he became a certified personal trainer in April of 2018. He worked for a year as the sole
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