We were saddened to hear of the sudden, unexpected death last week of vegan bodybuilder Jim Morris, 80, who inspired so many with a chiseled physique that belied his age.

A former bodyguard of Elton John, Jim broke the color barrier in bodybuilding, and he broke the age barrier by posing in the buff at age 78 for a PETA ad promoting vegan eating.

The subject of a documentary, Jim Morris: Lifelong Fitness, which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2014, Jim was proof that you’re never too old to make a change for the better. He went vegetarian when he was 50 and vegan when he was 65. In an interview with PETA, he talked about the health problems he experienced when he ate meat and dairy foods and revealed that eating vegan made him feel better not only physically but also emotionally.

“When I was … stuffing down [meat and] all that sort of stuff, I had lots of digestive problems … and [was] just miserable all the time,” he said. But going vegan “kept me not only healthy, but I feel better about myself and how I relate to other creatures in the world … I feel better as a vegan, that I’m not hurting these creatures.”

We may not all aspire to be award-winning bodybuilders like Jim was, but we can all follow his healthy example if we want to stay fit and active in our golden years. Studies show that vegans slash their risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, strokes, certain types of cancer, and other debilitating and deadly illnesses.

We can think of no better way to honor Jim’s memory than by taking good care of ourselves and protecting animals by eating vegan—and urging others to do the same. Share a copy of PETA’s free vegan starter kit with a friend. Tell them Jim sent you.