‘Mighty Mouse’ yoga teacher Gladys dies

Gladys Morris leading a yoga class last month

ROYTON great-grandmother Gladys Morris — one of the world’s oldest yoga teachers — has died aged 90.

Gladys, who celebrated her birthday last month, died in hospital on February 10 following a short illness.

The super-supple instructor taught four yoga classes a week at Shaw Community Centre, and her students had written to Guinness World Records in a bid to get Gladys officially recognised as the world’s oldest yoga teacher.

The world record bid led to mass-media attention for Gladys: her story appeared in newspapers and on TV and radio shows across the country.

Gladys went to her first yoga class when she was 49 and quickly developed a passion for the discipline.

She qualified as a teacher in 1977 thanks to a long-distance learning course and started to teach classes in Shaw soon afterwards, increasing to four a week in 1999 following the death of Jim, her husband of 45 years.

Gladys defied the odds when she made a full recovery after breaking three bones in her back following a bad fall in 2006. Doctors said her strong muscles had helped her body to heal.

Gladys leaves son Alan, daughter Sheila, daughter-in-law Margaret, grandchildren Scott, Kirsty and Janet and great-grandchildren Chloe, Josh and Ellie.

The funeral will take place at St Mark’s Church, Heyside on Friday, at 11am.