A 100-year-old Second World War veteran has officially become the world’s oldest competitive bodybuilder after taking to the stage at the NGA Gator Classic in Deltona, Florida.
Andrew Bostinto, who was born in Manhattan and raised in Brooklyn, has spent nearly nine decades building his strength, starting at age 12 using equipment in public parks. Now, he holds a title that defies age and expectations.
Bostinto served in the infantry during the Second World War, where he continued to prioritise physical fitness, even in the trenches. After the war, he opened Olympia Gym in Queens and became a personal trainer to a number of high-profile clients, including Al Pacino and Sir Patrick Stewart.
In 1979, he founded the National Gym Association (NGA), one of the first organisations to promote drug-free bodybuilding and establish personal trainer certification programmes. Bostinto also served as a mentor to Arnold Schwarzenegger in the early stages of the actor and bodybuilder’s career.
Even now, Bostinto hasn’t slowed down. He marked his 100th birthday with a workout, sticking to a routine of weight training and regular time on the treadmill.
His wife, Francine, credits their relationship with keeping him young. “This is what happens when you marry a much younger woman,” she told The Parklander.
Bostinto’s story stands as a testament to resilience, discipline, and lifelong passion. In his own way, he’s still marching on, with iron in hand and strength in spirit.
