“There’s no old age, being old will have to wait,” said the super-ager, who has the fitness level of someone half her age.

“Old is not what it used to be,” the chic grandmother preached. “I’m a long way off sitting in my rocking chair.”

The sprightly octogenarian is a fitness coach, healthy lifestyle advocate, mountain trekker, dance tutor, public speaker, motivator, author, a good listener and many more things.

She is Malaysia’s first certified Nordic walking coach and one of the earliest to bring international debating to the country.

And she has been on an unswerving mission for decades to guide people to excel in their studies and profession, to bring sanity to relationships and to nurture love and caring.

Close to her heart is showing people how to age with physical and mental fitness, relevance and grace.

Surjeet, known as “Mrs J”, has displayed it all in her lust for life – chutzpah, nerve, daring and discipline.

Her ex-teacher husband, Jagjeet Singh, 88, is equally fresh in mind, fit in body and bursting with energy and desire to debunk ageing myths.

Mrs J, who is constantly told she could pass for years younger, essentially shows seniors, Gen Z and millennials how to live well.

The go-getter reaches out to them through her many roles as an inspiring Malaysian for whom, “24 hours isn’t enough”.

In describing his mother as an “energy vendor”, Ravinder Singh said: “Her decades-younger fans on social media have been amazed how she has stemmed the tide of time.”

“She is proof that it’s never too late to bring fitness into your life,” said Ravinder, 55, the co-founder and president of the Malaysia Towerrunning Association.

Ravinder, a reinsurance specialist, said his parents’ active lifestyle and unrelenting thirst for life is why they look and act half their age.

He said their 58th wedding anniversary last Wednesday was another celebration of “agelessness, robust health, a happy marriage and a glowing zest for life.”

“A good marriage also keeps you young,” said Mrs J. “Who says older couples don’t have great relationships?

“My husband and I talk a lot, we share things, we don’t dress like old people and never find each other a nuisance.”

Everybody loves Mrs J, the “poster girl” of active ageing. Many want to be her at 80.

Mrs J, who weighs a lean 52kg, wakes up at 6am every morning, embarks on exercises in the swimming pool and then heads off on her Nordic walking routine.

She then either leads fitness workouts or conducts virtual English language classes and public speaking sessions.

Then, there are her online talks that focus on improving memory, ageing gracefully and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

The young and old also seek her advice on matters ranging from diet, work-life balance, relationships and even domestic issues.

The former teacher’s love for walking and mountain trekking developed in her early 60s when her health became a priority.

About 10 years ago, the mother of two sons and grandmother of five, collapsed after a trek to the Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas.

“I had damaged the cartilage in both my knees from descending too fast every time I went walking or trekking over the years,” she said.

Mrs J wasn’t keen on knee replacement surgery and discovered Nordic walking, a Finnish-origin total-body version of walking.

It is an activity that works the upper body and legs using specially-designed poles, similar to ski pole, that absorb most of the weight of a person.

Mrs J learnt the technique from an Austrian instructor in Melbourne and while there became a qualified Nordic walking coach.

She said the activity cured her knee problems and that hundreds of enthusiasts, mainly seniors, under her tutelage have seen improvements to their body alignment and posture.

“Twenty minutes of Nordic walking is equal to 40 minutes of a brisk walk. It’s a low-impact activity that will also burn more calories and raise the heart rate,” she added.

Over the years, Mrs J has led several excursions locally and abroad, including the Austrian Alps, and more trips are being planned.

Mrs J, who was a newspaper columnist for two newspapers, has written several books, among them, “My 7 Secrets to Staying Young” and “6 Steps to Supercharge Your Battery”, both on youthful longevity and happiness.

Asked about her youthful look, Mrs J said: “No magic lotions or potions, no Botox or surgery.

“It is all about eating well, taking care of your body and making self-care a top priority.”

Those who are sick and tired of being sick and tired should take this cue from Mrs J: “Even though you can’t turn back the clock, you can wind it up again.”