PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Age is just a number — and Fred Lawrence is proof of that.
The 98-year-old still works out three times a week and eats oatmeal every morning.
“Makes me feel good,” he said about working out. “Makes me feel like I’m strengthening what’s here.”
Another fact that sets him apart from others? He served in the Marines for three years during World War II and survived major invasions in the Pacific.
Fred is a dedicated member of the 24 Hour Fitness in Gladstone, so they helped him celebrate his birthday on Wednesday.
His workout partner Jeremy Ybarra was there to make sure he had a great birthday. While Fred gets a lot of help from Jeremy, it turns out that Jeremy gets just as much out of Fred.
“I just want to be like Fred when I grow up,” Jeremy said. “To be his age and still be here? It’s quite the feat.”
According to Fred, every day is a gift from the Lord.
“I’ll receive it as a gift and I’ll live it as him He gives it to me,” Fred said. “I’m not trying to make it any longer or any shorter.”
Fred was born and raised in Seattle before moving to the Gladstone area. After leaving the military and graduating college, he was a pastor in the area for many years.