Sister Inah Canabarro, a Brazilian nun passionate about soccer, has been recognized as the oldest living person in the world at almost 117 years oldas announced on Saturday by the LongeviQuest organization. This title comes after the recent death of Tomiko Itooka, a woman from Japan.
Born on June 8, 1908 into a large family in southern Brazil, Canabarro grew up defying expectations. Her nephew, Cleber Canabarro, 84, says that as a child she was so thin that many thought he would not survive. “The other sisters say that she is happy when she hears my voice, that she gets excited,” shared Cleber, who spends time with her every Saturday and sends her voice messages during the week to encourage her.
In a statement, LongeviQuest noted that Sister Inah’s longevity has been validated through records of her early life. Although his birth was registered by mistake two weeks laterhis family claims that the real date was May 27, 1908. His great-grandfather was a Brazilian general who participated in the conflicts after Brazil’s independence from Portugal in the 19th century.
Since she was a teenager, Sister Inah he dedicated his life to religious workliving in Montevideo, Uruguay, before settling in Rio de Janeiro and eventually returning to southern Brazil. At her retirement home in Porto Alegre, she is seen smiling and sharing stories. “I am young, pretty and friendly, all very good and positive qualities that you also have,” she recently told her visitors.
His Catholic faith is the secret of his longevity. In a LongeviQuest video recorded in February, she appears reciting the Hail Mary prayer, showing miniatures of wildflowers that she makes, and telling jokes.
Over the years, his longevity and dedication have been widely recognized. On his 110th birthday, he received a tribute from Pope Francis. She is the second-oldest nun on record, after Lucile Randon, who was the world’s oldest living person until her death in 2023, aged 118.
The Inter de Porto Alegre football club also celebrates the birthday of his oldest fan. At her last celebration, with balloons and a cake in the team’s red and white colors, Sister Inah recalled: “Black or white, rich or poor, whoever you are, Inter is the people’s team.”
With her new title, Sister Inah is also ranked number 20 on the list of the oldest documented people, led by Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who lived to be 122 years old. His legacy is not only a testament to longevity, but also to a life full of faith, joy and love for football.
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