Eighty-two-year old Tommy Lee, from Douglas, likes to keep active by skateboarding.

The former builder picked up the hobby seven years ago, while he was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and somebody gave him a longboard - which is larger than a typical skateboard, and with bigger wheels for increased speed.

He started teaching himself how to ride it in an empty car park, and now enjoys skating along Douglas marina and promenade.

However, he wouldn’t risk the steepness of Fort Anne Road.

’I don’t think anyone should do that - I think my friend did it when he was a kid and got smashed up a bit,’ he explained.

Skateboarding usually attracts much younger participants. This week Sky Brown, aged 13, has won a bronze medal in the women’s skateboard event - making her Great Britain’s youngest ever medallist.

Tommy had been visiting Florida when he was in the business of delivering yachts, something which he picked up as a way of getting his hours at sea in for another hobby - gaining sailing qualifications with the goal of becoming a yachtmaster.

Among the other things that Tommy attributes to keeping him active are his diet - abstaining from sugar and salt.

He also lifts weights, and has worked out in Florida boxing gyms - being coached by American professional boxers such as Bonnie Canino and Yvonne Reis.

Originally from Liverpool, Tommy talked about how skateboards were unknown in Britain when he was young (having been invented in California in the 1950s) - and he only became aware of them during the 90s.

He came to the island in 2001, having previously worked in Jersey.

Tommy has also faced injuries to his Achilles tendon, and ’the biggest black eyes he’s ever had’ from crashes.

’My knees and muscles ache sometimes - but I just have a little rest now and again, then kick off again and I seem to be able to do okay on it,’ Tommy told us.