Only those who turn 110 years old have the right to be called “supercentenarians”. There are those who lived 122 years and 164 days, breaking longevity records, like the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment; but 11 decades are enough to appear in the ranking official world of the oldest people in the world.
With a little superstitious fear, one can leaf through their biographies, searching for “that secret” to long life. Although there are tips and don’ts that give rise to misleading recipes and false promises, WIRED preferred to delve into the lives of those who are currently among the first five places; as far as privacy allowed us.
Who are these women?
The first fact that jumps out is that the oldest people in the world are women. In the top 50 of the classification prepared by the Gerontology Research group, the letter “M” for masculine does not appear to clarify its sex. Japan is one of the countries with the most names in the top 10: it appears three times, and is headed by 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka. She is currently the oldest living person in the world, born on May 23, 1908, and in her words, “began to enjoy life after the death of her husband in 1979.”
In previous years, due to the war, she moved with her husband to South Korea, where she opened her textile factory. Once a widow she returned to Japan, climbed Mount Nijo and the 3,000-meter Mount Ontake twice; At the age of 80 he participated twice in the Osaka Pilgrimage and at the age of 100 he climbed all the stone steps of the Ashiya Shrine without a cane, as a gesture of worship.
But wait. Before getting divorced, dedicating yourself fully to mountaineering or worshiping Shinto deities, it is best to know the background of the other four oldest women in the world. Entering the supercentennial club not only involves leg strength and breath, it requires character and determination. The purpose of “reaching the top” is useful, but only if it is understood in a metaphorical sense.
The second in the classification also occupies first place as the oldest woman in all of Latin America: this is Inah Canabarro Lucasa 116-year-old Brazilian nun. She taught mathematics and Portuguese in Brazil and Uruguay, survived Covid-19 and in 2018 received a message from Pope Francis congratulating her on reaching 110 years old. On the third podium we find the first supercentenarian from the United Kingdom, Ethel May Caterham. He traveled to India by sea and lived in Gibraltar and Hong Kong, where he founded a day care center for needy children. He drove until he was 97 and played bridge until he was 100. Fourth place returns to Japan, Okagi Hayashi115 years old; Although she was not exactly a lover of hiking and vehicles, she raised nine children, and upon retiring, she dedicated her free time to spas and gardening; before founding a livestock feed business.
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