HE HAS always dated older women as he found younger ones too "manja" (pampered).

And she found an "old soul" in her husband, though he is 10 years her junior – the same age gap between her mum, 65, and stepdad, 55.

Age has never been a factor for Mr Irving Henson, 32, and Madam Ming Rodrigues, 42, who will be celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary this month.

The couple, who have a 5-year-old son, Miles, had the full support of their family and friends.

But Mr Henson, a personal trainer, knows what it's like to be rejected by a partner's family.

His previous two-year relationship with a woman six years older met with disapproval from her parents because of his age.

In contrast, Madam Rodrigues, an editor at a publishing firm, said her family welcomed her husband wholeheartedly.

Irving's dad, Mr Larry Henson, 64, a retired teacher, said: "We had no objections. The most important thing is that he's happy."

The couple met in 2000, when she was a member of the gym he used to work at. He was 22, she was 32.

She found his surname familiar and they realised she knew his sister.

They married after dating for four years.

Said Mr Henson: "I've never clicked with a girl my age. Their expectations are different.

"I like to be left alone when I'm upset or stressed. I find that younger girls always whine and ask, ‘Why are you down, tell me, I want to be part of your problem.'
"Older women are not so ‘manja'."

Mr Henson admires his wife's "cool" and mature attitude towards his late working hours – he's now busy starting his own gym which will open next month – and his going on vacations with his friends without her.

The couple, who are open about their ages, said people usually assume the burly Mr Henson is the same age or older than his petite wife.

He said: "They get a shock when we tell them. She's 10 years older, but she looks younger than me. She's got good genes."

Madam Rodrigues said her husband was the youngest man she had ever dated. "Prior to Irving, most of the others were either my age or maybe two or three years younger – not by choice, but by coincidence."

He's an old soul

She said issues like financial and emotional stability did cross her mind.

"But it was very fleeting, not something I lost sleep over. Because I know he's got a good head on his shoulders. He's an old soul. We have the same values, chemistry. That was what mattered to me, I knew somehow we will make it."

By then she was financially independent and could look after herself.

Madam Rodrigues said that when they decided to get married, she did joke with some friends about the age gap: "Haha, 10 years, that whole cougar thing. But there was nothing hurtful or mean."

But while she finds the term funny, her husband finds it rude. He said: "When you talk about cougars, it's mostly sexual. They just want a booty call with someone young.

"That's totally different from what I and my wife have. I got into a serious relationship early in my life and I don't regret it."

Mr Henson's only hang-up about their relationship has nothing to do with age.

He said: "Don't make it sound sleazy! Personal trainer meets girl at the gym."

They both wanted children.

Said Madam Rodrigues: "Obviously the age thing was a concern in terms of the fertility aspect."

Added Mr Henson: "There was a risk of us not being able to have one because of her age, but I think if it's yours, it's yours."

So they started trying for a child immediately and their son was born a year later.

Said Mr Henson: "My son is beautiful, my wife is beautiful. My family is complete."

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This article was first published in The New Paper.