Meet the grandad, 90, still leaving younger walkers struggling to keep up

Most 90-year-olds might be expected to slow down a little. Not Tom Conroy.

The grandfather still spends an hour and a half in the gym every day, heads out for three daily walks and often leaves walkers decades younger than him struggling to keep up.

"'Use it or lose it' is a phrase he uses quite a lot," said his son, Stephen.

For Tom, staying active has never just been about keeping fit. It has shaped much of his life.

Introduced to exercise while helping at a boxing gym run by his father, he carried that passion into adulthood through a career in engineering and later used it to help young people in his community.

While living in Audley, Staffordshire, in the 1970s, he was approached by a local police officer who asked if he could help provide activities for youngsters and keep them off the streets.

Tom got to work.

He negotiated with a local pub to use a disused village hall, raised money for equipment and helped create a gym for local young people. Later, a cellar beneath the building was cleared and transformed into a Saturday morning youth club for teenagers.

Decades on, that same drive still defines him.

Tom, who lives with his wife Dorothy in a private residence on the Keele University campus, has used the university's gym for 33 years and still follows a routine many younger people would struggle to maintain.

"I do most exercises in here," he said.

"I don't do the treadmill because I walk a lot, so I don't need those, but everything counts, more or less.

"I have an hour and a half each day in the gym. I've cut it down from about two and a half hours over the years."

The benefits, he believes, have helped him through some of the toughest periods of his life, including serious health challenges.

"I've had one or two health issues in my time, and I've had cancer," he said.

"It's helped me such a lot and I've got over them quickly because I suppose I can say I'm fit."

While gyms may have changed during his lifetime, his attitude towards exercise has not.

"In the old days, it was mainly heavy weights all the time," he said.

"I'm not a strong person so I never used big weights much, but it's changed a lot."

The gym is only part of the routine.

Tom also heads out for three walks a day, spending about 50 minutes on each.

"I quite enjoy it," he said. "Of course there's plenty of walks here, especially in the woods, and I like walking in the woods."

His son says that determination has always set him apart.

"I used to go out on my bike and I had a job to keep up with him when he was running, pedalling my legs off," Stephen recalled.

"I used to go all round Audley trying to keep up with him. Rain, hail, sunshine, never stopped him. And it's the same today."

Even now, younger walkers can struggle to match his pace.

"My dad has formed some rambler groups and they're younger than him and he leaves them for dust," Stephen said.

"Very often it's like, 'Just hang on Tom'. He's marching on in front, leading the way."

There is little sign of him slowing down.

Stephen recently phoned home during bad weather and asked where his father was.

Expecting him to be indoors, he was given a familiar answer.

"'Oh yes, he's gone for his walk as usual,' she said."

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