WHEELING — Bobby Blackburn is fit and healthy at age 72, and he wants the world to know they need to get up and move.

Blackburn, of Mingo Junction, participated in the Ogden Newspapers 5K Walk on Saturday in Wheeling. It was his first time participating.

“I’m new on the block, and I’m going to take it to them,” he said. “I have got three gold medals (for races), and I’m going to get another one here.”

Blackburn described what his health was just two years ago.

“I had a beer belly, I had 210 pounds on me, and I sat and watched TV and I thought I was going to die,” he said. “I took two years, and I changed to this.

“I changed how I eat. I changed how I did everything. I just turned over a new leaf.”

His advice to people at home on the couch is to get out and start moving.

“But you can’t just suddenly do it,” Blackburn continued. “It took me two years to get where I am at. It takes you at least two years to get in condition to go do this, otherwise you’re going to hurt yourself.”

Blackburn is a woodworker who makes children’s toys, and presently has an order for a hobby horse.

“I like helping kids, and I like being out here doing this,” he said. “That’s because 75% of the men in this country are considered. That is a big number. They should not be like that in America. They call us fat Americans in Europe.”