‘Dancing is her happy place’: Meet 92-year-old St Leonards Zumba queen Dulcie Leedow

GREAT grandmother Dulcie Leedow celebrated her 92nd birthday by working up a sweat in a Zumba class. She also tap dances, swims, hits the treadmill and has a personal trainer.

Dulcie Leedow and Zumba instructor Kathy Johnsun celebrating Dulcie’s 92nd birthday. Picture: Adam Ward

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THIS great grandmother knows how to party. Dulcie Leedow celebrated her 92nd birthday last week with a sweat popping Zumba class.

“I think it keeps you younger doing exercise,” she said. “The longer you do exercise, the longer you may live. You need to want to do it.”

Mrs Leedow, from St Leonards, has been enjoying Zumba for the past three years.

Zumba is an exercise activity for people from all walks of life.

She has an extremely active lifestyle as her exercise roster also includes tap dancing, swimming, personal training sessions and hitting the treadmill.

She is a regular at the Fitness First gym in St Leonards and is the oldest member of the club.

“I like mixing with people too,” she said.

Mrs Leedow has made a lot of friends at the gym and her Zumba class organised a birthday party for her.

The gym has become her second family and she has also become close friends with Zumba instructor Kathy Johnsun.

“I treat her as my adopted grandmother,” Ms Johnsun said. “I love her to bits.”

Dulcie struts her stuff with Zumba instructor Kathy Johnsun.

After Zumba they often go for yum cha and she has found that the class gives Mrs Leedow a sense of belonging.

“She’s amazing,” Ms Johnsun said. “She comes into the gym with her walking frame ... and she’ll ditch that and start dancing. She has a riot, she has so much fun.

“She is such an inspiration to so many people.”

Ms Johnsun is also continually inspired by her student who doesn’t hold back in the dance class.

“When the music starts she closes her eyes and loses herself in the music,” she said.

“She’s a natural dancer. She loves the Latin rhythms.

“She’s in her element when she’s dancing. Dancing is her happy place.”