Told by a doctor and a palmist that he wouldn’t live a long life, Yee Sze Mun has made the most of his ‘twilight’ years. After becoming an IRONMAN at 58, he achieved legend status in his 60s and 70s. Just 1.57m tall, this ‘Cina Ah Pek’ – as he calls himself – was hailed an IRONMAN celebrity in Hawaii and Hall of Famer in Malaysia. At 50, he went to the gym to lose weight, and spent his golden years tackling the world’s epic challenges. He completed the 226km swim/bike/run event 16 times, ran across the Sahara Desert and finished the Japan Strong Man among some 200 races.

This is his story of how he overcame the odds, elements and doubts – organisers didn’t always have a trophy for him. And all at an age when many of his peers are resigned to the couch. Following his first book, The Bumblebee in Me, this tale is more graphic than biographic: you feel the pain as well as the glory. A Malaysian hero, he is an inspiration for people of all ages.