Grandpa Makes Modelling Debut at 79

The fashion industry is obsessed with youth. On an average, models start their career by 14/15 and are considered old by the time they turn 28/29. And so, the story of Wang Deshun comes as a huge surprise.

Dubbed as China's hottest grandpa, Deshun, an actor by profession, made his modelling debut at the China Fashion Week at the age of 79 for designer Hu Sheguang. His physique caused a national sensation.

Being China's hottest grandpa isn't an easy feat. Even though Deshun was always athletic, he only started working out when he turned 50. He became even more serious about his workouts when he turned 70. Nowadays, he exercises in the afternoons, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m and swims daily. He eats whatever he wants, but drinks less alcohol than he used to.

Age, for Deshun, is just a number. “One way to tell if you’re old or not is to ask yourself, ‘Do you dare try something you’ve never done before?’” he told The New York Times. “Nature determines age, but you determine your state of mind.”

He is changing the views of a rapidly ageing Chinese society by promoting the mentality that getting older should never be used as an excuse for giving up. “Many people started noticing me after a catwalk show…But do you know what? To prepare for this day, I've been getting ready for 60 years.” he said in a popular video (as shown below).