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A look at the contestants of 'Physical 100,' the oldest are in their 40s, with many ranging in their 30s. TaeKwonDo athlete Kim Byeong-jin was the youngest being a high school student.
Updated on March 11, 2023
Published on March 2, 2023
3 min readNetflix‘s Physical 100 is still a hot topic of discussion. The competition series was not shy about casting athletes of all ages, male and female. The series had it all from bodybuilders, fitness celebrities, and national athletes. But it begs the question of who was the oldest and youngest contestant in Physical 100 and how far they got.
MMA fighter Choo Sung-hoon was the oldest male contestant of ‘Physical 100’
Among the 100 contestants, they were all blown away when Choo Sung-hoon entered the room. Dressed in a tailored suit and sunglasses, the steel fox has everyone giddy with excitement and star-struck. The Japanese native is a fitness celebrity in South Korea and among global fans. He began his athletic career in Judo before becoming an MMA fighter.
When it comes to Physical 100, Sung-hoon is the oldest contestant. He was born on July 29, 1975, in Osaka, Japan. He is currently 47 years old and has no plans to retire as an athlete. Sung-hoon joined the competition series and explained, “I still compete with young fighters. I want to show people that even at this age, there’s a way to beat young people.”
But Choo is not the oldest contestant. In reality, the oldest Physical 100 contestant is someone who did not get much screen time. Her name is Lee So-young. When she fell in the pre-elimination challenge, it was revealed that is 54 years old. Her Instagram, @relax_0923, displays her career as a fitness model. But fans would have never expected her age based on her youthful appearance and physique.
Fans can only guess that Lee also had a similar ambition to want to prove that age is just a number when it comes to working hard in the gym.
National TaeKwonDo athlete Kim Byeong-jin was the youngest on ‘Physical 100’
With a 29-year age difference, the youngest contestant of Physical 100 was Kim Byeong-jin. Everyone was surprised when he was one of the last to enter and wearing his high school uniform. Jin-hyeong was perplexed and unsure of what the series would entail. There was even a comment about Byeong-jin not being in school.
He soon revealed he was a national athlete and a free poomsae competitor. Behind his kind smile and youthful appearance, Byeong-jin was on a mission. He commented, “I’ll show you how fearsome teens can be.”
Cheerleader Jo Yeon-joo is likely the second youngest contestant on the series at 24 years old. A quick look at the remaining contestants has many averaging in their 30s or late 20s. Fans will be surprised to learn that youthful fitness star Shim Ee-ddeum is 32 years old.
How far did So-young and Byeong-jin get in the series?
The oldest and youngest contestants of Physical 100 do not have different stories about their time on the series. Byeong-jin went up against Physical 100 dancer Miracle during the first quest. The two had a fun time and gave each other heart signs. But Miracle ultimately won the challenge, leading to Byeong-jin’s elimination.
When it came to Lee, she placed 46th in the hanging challenge, which left even seasoned climber Min-cheol feeling numb for months afterward. When it came to the first official quest, she went up against UDT soldier Jjang Jae. Their match was more comical than a brawl to win. At one point, Jjang Jae outstretched his hand, and she chased him. Lee ultimately lost.
Sung-hoon went farther into the series, having won the bridge and boat quest. But his run came to an end during Physical 100’s Greek-mythology-inspired challenges. He took on the Sisyphus challenge alongside Yun Sung-bin, Jung Hae-min, and Ma Sun-ho. Sun-ho was the first to be eliminated after losing strength and possibly spraining his ankle. As the battle went on, Sung-hoon also lost his strength and power.
Physical 100 is available to stream on Netflix.
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