In recent weeks, Hillary Clinton‘s health has become a major issue in the presidential campaign. This reality became even more notable after she fainted while visiting Ground Zero in New York. On the other side, her Republican opponent Donald Trump is a year and a half older and hasn’t shared many details about his health. However, there is one candidate in the race who towers over the others in health: Gary Johnson. These are the top seven reasons Johnson is the healthiest presidential candidate in history.
1. Climbing Mountains
Gary Johnson has famously climbed the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. This includes Mount Everest, which he hiked with a healing broken leg.
2. Marathon Runner
Johnson has been noted for his wearing of Nike Zoom Air Pegasus 32 running shoes, even with suits. This is for good reason, however, as he has an impressive running record. In his younger days, he ran marathons (26.2 miles) in 2 hours and 48 minutes. In 2002, at age 49, he ran the Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 11 minutes.
3. Push-Up Challenge
A viral campaign has been for Americans to do 22 push-ups to bring awareness to the 22 suicides a day committed by military veterans. One journalist recently caught up to Johnson and challenged him, but the 63-year-old former governor had no problem accepting.
4. Serious Bicyclist
Johnson has participated in several hundred-mile bicycle races. In 2011, he biked over 450 miles throughout New Hampshire to bring awareness to his presidential campaign. He has stated that next year, he will compete in a 3,000 mile long race through the Rocky Mountains unless he is elected President.
5. Ironman Challenge
Gary Johnson has completed the Ironman Challenge triathalon in Hawaii on five different occasions. This event includes a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bicycle ride, and a 26.2 mile run without breaks.
6. Skiing Prowess
Governor Johnson once described his love for skiing as such: “I was kind of a ski bum ski instructor when I was younger. I’ve been trying to convince myself that there’s something better in life than skiing, but I can assure you, after years of looking, there isn’t.” In 2011, he skied with ease down Tuckerman Ravine in New Hampshire, described by OutsideOnline as “lethal mountains.”
7. Strict Diet
In addition to his many athletic feats, Johnson follows a very strict diet. This is in part because he has celiac disease, which requires him to avoid gluten. Nonetheless, he has gone decades without drinking alcohol, and his eating habits include avoiding consumption of sugar. Even when he used marijuana (in part to assist in dealing with pain from a 2005 paragliding accident), he did not smoke the substance due to the negative health effects.