By Alesha Capone
At the age of 87, Marion Ratnik is fighting fit.
The Werribee grandmother has been attending a boxing class in Hoppers Crossing, run by instructor Marlene Mills, for more than 25 years.
Mrs Ratnik said she enjoyed the camaraderie between members of her boxing class.
“They’re very friendly, we’ve known each other for a long time,” she said.
Mrs Ratnik – who can do 10 push-ups on her toes – was modest about her fitness level.
“I try to keep up, I don’t like running but I keep up,” she said.
“I’m also not a big fan of burpies.”
Apart from the boxing classes, Mrs Ratnik said that she also visited the Victoria University gym in Werribee three times a week, where she does activities including lifting weights and high-impact exercise, in three hour-long sessions.
In addition to keeping fit, Mrs Ratnik said she enjoyed helping to care for her family.
She is also a familiar face to many people in the community, after serving as an assistant principal and teacher at Werribee Secondary College for many years.
Mrs Ratnik, who said she still does casual relief teaching at the college, said she started her career in education in 1953.
She began teaching in New South Wales, before coming to Victoria in 1969.
