Åke Jonson's journey illustrates that sustainability comes in many forms

At Gomero, we're happy to be inspired by others. When we embarked on a journey to promote the health and sustainability of our employees, the story of 80-year-old Åke Jonson became a particularly strong source of inspiration. Åke's transformation from being bedridden to becoming a multiple-time veteran champion in athletics demonstrates that it's never too late to start exercising and live a sustainable life.

We had the opportunity to speak with Åke, who shared his journey from being an early retiree at the age of 60 with arthritis and osteoporosis to winning over 350 championship medals 20 years later.

"After deteriorating for several years, I eventually became bedridden because moving became too painful. Medications didn't help either. At that point, my doctor asked if I wanted to try a pain center in Lund for five weeks, which I agreed to. In short, the doctors gave up and said they couldn't help me. One of the doctors also mentioned that I needed to start exercising and build up my muscles to relieve the joints and strengthen my bones. At the same time, it would help me produce the body's own substances that contribute to pain relief.

Exercise and sports were not part of my world at that time. I'm not exaggerating when I say I was one of the few who had never watched a football match. But one sunny day, it struck me that I might try cycling. That's how it all began."

"My motivation and interests have changed over time. Initially, I trained with a regular bicycle. After that, I got a racing bike and started competing. Then, I found new motivation by taking up jogging and soon after, competing in running and cycling, i.e., duathlon. After that, the disciplines in athletics just kept growing, and now I compete both nationally and internationally. In this way, I have managed to challenge and motivate myself."

"The primary reason is that I don't want to go back to a life of pain. There are also many other reasons, such as enjoying it, establishing good routines, meeting nice people, and competing. I also feel very comfortable when I can get into my own bubble and jog slowly on the asphalt for two hours. It's a great feeling."

"Today, almost everyone talks about sustainability. At the same time, it comes down to the individual needing to live sustainably. In my case, it's about feeling good through exercise and competition. Of course, there are many other important aspects related to sustainability, with our common environment being perhaps the most obvious. But the fact remains that if we as individuals don't live sustainably and take care of ourselves, the rest won't matter as much. However, sustainability's various aspects and challenges don't exclude each other. We have to work on multiple fronts to succeed."

"Seek help from different places and consult various doctors if needed. Don't give up; there is often someone out there who can help you. Try to break the isolation that can develop. Few want to socialize with someone who is feeling unwell."

"Take very small steps. My doctor told me not to wash the entire car in one day, just a quarter of it. Don't fill the entire watering can, just a little bit, and so on. The important thing is to break the cycle and get started, not to quickly compete or set records. That can come with time."

"My collaboration with Gomero has motivated me to continue competing until the World Championships in Gothenburg in 2024. I think it works very well. When you're my age, you value new friendships greatly. I feel proud of the collaboration."