I never really participated in specific sports or anything, but

The words of Shigeru Miyamoto, “I never really participated in specific sports or anything, but once I hit 40, I started to get a little bit more active and began swimming more,” shine with the light of humility and renewal. Here speaks a man who reshaped the imagination of the world, the creator of realms and heroes that live in the hearts of millions, yet who confesses that in the realm of the body, he was not always diligent. His words are not of regret, but of awakening: that even when youth has passed, one may choose to begin again, to take up activity, to breathe new life into the body.

The origin of this saying lies in Miyamoto’s own journey as a creator. For decades, his energy was poured into the building of games and stories, where physical exertion mattered less than mental invention. But at 40, a turning point came. The body, long neglected, began to call for attention. Swimming became not only exercise, but a symbol of renewal: immersion into water, that most ancient of elements, a baptism into a healthier rhythm. His confession reminds us that it is never too late to choose growth.

History gives us many such examples. The philosopher Plato wrote that the body must not be neglected, for it is the vessel through which the soul acts. Yet even those who once lived carelessly found renewal later. The Roman statesman Cato the Elder began learning Greek not in his youth, but in old age, declaring that it was never too late to grow wiser. Miyamoto’s words echo this timeless truth: that the spirit of discipline may be awakened at any stage, and what was once ignored may yet be redeemed.

There is also beauty in his choice of swimming. To swim is to return to the primal element from which all life emerged, to strengthen the body in water, where the burden of gravity is lifted. It is not the striving of competition, nor the clash of opponents, but the rhythm of breath and movement, the union of man with nature. Swimming is exercise, but it is also meditation. For Miyamoto, it was perhaps the perfect act: one that replenished both body and imagination, harmonizing health with creativity.

The lesson for us is clear: life is not a single path fixed in youth, but a journey of continual renewal. You may not have been an athlete as a child; you may have neglected health in your early years; you may believe the time for change is gone. But Miyamoto reminds us that transformation can come even after 40, even after long years of neglect. The body, like the spirit, is resilient, and will answer gladly when treated with care.

Practically, this calls us to reject despair or resignation. Begin now, whatever your age, with small steps. Walk, swim, stretch, breathe. Do not compare your present to the vigor of others, but cherish the renewal that is possible today. The body, when stirred into movement, awakens joy that spills over into the soul. As Miyamoto’s creativity was enriched by swimming, so too may your own life be enriched by tending to your body with intention.

So, beloved listener, take these words as both comfort and challenge: it is never too late to begin again. The meadow waits, the track awaits, the pool awaits. Do not cling to the story of who you were in youth; write instead the story of who you may yet become. For the one who dares to begin, even at forty, finds not only strength renewed, but the deeper joy of proving that growth has no age, and renewal has no limit.