Grandparents Maurice and Eileen Armstrong are living proof that it pays to exercise.

Maurice, 76, and Eileen, 73, were jogging long before it became fashionable, have been coaching swimmers for more than 20 years and run up Otley Chevin four times a week.

And now the couple, who have taught youngsters at Otley's Chippendale Pool since 1983, have just passed their pool lifeguard qualifications.

The Leeds City Council qualification requires all pool lifeguards to undertake a number of tests including accident prevention and resuscitation.

Lifeguards also have to be able to swim a length of the pool while towing another swimmer.

Eileen said it was a tough test but they now know how to rescue people, how to carry out cardiac resuscitation and how to deal with spinal injuries.

The couple coach around 40 youngsters, aged between six and 12, three times a week at the Otley pool.

"I think it is very important that children learn to swim. They all go on holidays and go in the sea and every child should be able to swim," said Eileen.

But it's not just swimming that the Armstrongs do to keep fit. Maurice teaches triathlon and they have been jogging for years.

In fact the couple, who have a son and two grandchildren, were still running marathons and doing triathlons into their 60s and 70s.

Eileen said: "We've been running for about 40 years. When we started no-one else was doing it and we used to jog down the rugby pitch in Pool Road, but then the marathons started and everyone else started jogging and we started going on the roads."

She added: "We're members of the Aireborough Triathletes club and Maurice coaches the swimming side of it.

"We've got to stay fit because you can't expect all these triathletes you're coaching to keep fit if you don't yourself.

"It helps keep us feeling young and once you start running you can't give it up - we've got some lovely runs round here and I'll probably still be trying to get up the Chevin with a Zimmer frame!''

Like most other people, the Armstrongs have been tucking into traditional fare over the festive season but are putting in extra runs up Otley Chevin with their whippets, Mickey and Mini, to compensate.

Eileen said: "I get bought chocolates and you do eat more at this time of year so we always feel as if we have to do some longer runs to make up for it!"

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.