The surprising hobby of the world's oldest woman still maintained after the age of 100

Tomiko Itooka, a 116-year-old former mountain climber, is set to be recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest person. According to the Gerontology Research Group, a US-based organization, Tomiko Itooka, born on May 23, 1908, lives in Ashiya, western Japan. She has maintained a lifelong interest in mountain climbing.

Itooka, a mother of three, is now a contender for the title of world's oldest person after Maria Branyas Morera died at a nursing home in Spain on August 19, the team said.

Tomiko Itooka becomes the world's oldest person. Source: Aljazeera

After her husband passed away in 1979, she lived alone in her husband's hometown in Nara Prefecture for ten years. During this time, she frequently climbed mountains, including Mount Nijo.

At the age of 70, Ms. Itooka still climbs regularly and has twice conquered the 3,067-meter-high Mount Ontake in Japan, surprising her guide when she climbed in sneakers instead of specialized climbing shoes.

At the age of 80, he participated in the Osaka 33 Kannon pilgrimage (a pilgrimage to 33 temples) twice. At the age of 100, he could still climb the long stone steps of Ashiya Shrine without a cane.

The previous record holder, Maria Branyas Morera, passed away in Catalonia, Spain at the age of 117. Born in San Francisco, USA in 1907, Branyas Morera lived through two World Wars, the Spanish Civil War and the 1918 influenza pandemic. Her incredible longevity was recognized by both the Gerontology Research Group and Guinness World Records. Branyas Morera became a symbol of resilience when she survived the Covid pandemic at the age of 113.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/so-thich-bat-ngo-cua-cu-ba-song-tho-nhat-the-gioi-van-duy-tri-sau-tuoi-100-172240901014300207.htm