A man born in Shenyang, China in 1936 probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a model – maybe it is! Either way, eighty-year-old Deshun Wang is breaking stereotypes all over the place, from age to beauty.
Wang’s Early Life
At the age of fourteen, Wang started work as a streetcar conductor. Ten years later, he became a theater actor.[1,2]
“I liked acting, singing, dancing, playing musical instruments so much that I joined my work unit’s band,” said Wang. So, he took singing, dancing, and acting lessons at no cost from the Workers’ Cultural Palace in his city.[3]
At forty-four, Wang decided to start learning the English language, a challenge that many people would dismiss if they were his age. But again, Wang shows us that age is not and shouldn’t be a limitation.
Five years later, he created a pantomime troupe[4] as well as went on to work in radio and film before teaching runway modeling at a Beijing fashion school. Wang believes that was the first modeling show that Changchun, China had ever had. Even before modeling himself, Wang had an eye for fashion.[5]
“Chinese had no sense of color or style. People wore black, white, gray, or blue. Some people wore army uniforms,” he stated. “I wanted to start a sense for fashion among ordinary people.”[6]
Although his career directly or indirectly with modeling didn’t take off immediately, he made the right choice to plant the seed.
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Wang’s Challenges
The kind of work he was doing helped him decide to move to Beijing – China’s hotbed for culture – where he wished to be a “living sculpture.” However, very little money accompanied his very big dream, sharing that “[he] had nothing to [his] name, starting everything from scratch.”[7]
So, at the age of fifty, Wang stepped into his first gym, began exercising regularly, and has not quit since. This is a great (and necessary) reminder for all of us that it’s never too late to start something you’ve always dreamed doing. Your golden years are called “golden” for a reason.
The Catwalk Story
Surprisingly, Wang’s didn’t exactly plan his walk down the China Fashion Week catwalk. But you can bet that the decades of hitting the gym made his appearance much more impactful. Not everyone has the world calling them China’s Hottest Grandpa.
At eighty-years-old, already having lived an incredibly full life, Wang still has dreams to achieve. To help set himself up for success, he continues to work out every day from three to six in the afternoon[8] and is always trying new methods to keep his body and mind healthy.[9]
What’s stopping you from being the best version of yourself?
Inspirational Deshun Wang Quotes
If you need a pick-me-up or a good reason to keep going, read these![10]
- “Believe me, potential can be explored.”
- “When you think it’s too late, be careful you don’t let that become your excuse for giving up.”
- “No one can keep you from success except yourself.”
- “When it’s time to shine, be the brightest.”
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