62-year-old action man powerboats and flies a planeSINGAPORE (TodayOnLine), October 27, 2007:
More than 30 years ago, Mr Michael Gray gave up cruising on a "love boat" and sought a "less exciting career" more suited to a man about to settle down.
"My wife-to-be didn't think it suitable for me to be a First Officer on a cruise ship with all those girls around," he laughed. "So I chose the most boring job in the world - being an accountant!"
Little did he imagine the job - as the territorial senior partner for Indochina with Coopers and Lybrand - would land him in the middle of a coup in Cambodia.
"I had to coordinate getting my foreign staff to safety, but I was flying in when the coup happened so I had to do it by mobile phone," he recounted.
Now 62, Mr Gray - who was nominated by his daughters for the Active Ager Award - is not about to leave the adventurous life behind. The sailor, who has a powerboat named Blursotong, has taken to the skies. Already, he has logged 12 hours in preparation for his private pilot's licence.
"Like sailing, it gives me a sense of freedom," Mr Gray said.
With his son-in-law training to be a pilot with Singapore Airlines, Mr Gray looks forward to them flying together. He believes this inter-generational bonding is key to active ageing.
"I don't agree it should be a bunch of old people gathered together," he said. "I've been in Singapore so long, I don't feel as though I'm 'white'. My philosophy is that if you work or play with younger people, you feel younger."
While age does apply some brakes on his agility and memory, Mr Gray points out boons to being older, among them, the freedom to do more "impractical" things, like flying.
He also recently completed his Masters in South-east Asian Studies. "It's totally unrelated to my work, but an area I've always been interested in," he said.
Mr Gray, a Public Service Medal and Public Service Star recipient, has served on statutory boards and voluntary welfare organisations, and can be credited with helping to set up day care centres for the disabled.
The former Public Transport Council deputy chairman fought for better accessibility at train stations. Now that lifts are being installed in stations islandwide, he said: "Public transport has improved a lot. It's long overdue, but now it's much better."
He also thinks concessionary travel for the elderly should be extended: "I feel the concession should be 24/7. The older generation have played their part in building Singapore to what it is, so it's time to give back a bit."
In between his flying and consultancy work, Mr Gray still serves as a vice-president on the National Council of Social Services and is one of its longest-serving members. He is an active member of the Singapore Institute of Directors and edits its bulletin.
"It keeps me active and my mind working. Activity staves off dementia, you know," he said, smiling. And his next challenge after he gets his flying licence?
"I promised my wife more than 30 years ago I would learn Mandarin. Until today I can only say 'ni hao ma' (how are you). A friend suggested I take up scuba diving, but I think I'd better learn Chinese first," he laughed.
By Sheralyn Tay
Copyright MediaCorp
