Tokyo Olympics Torch to be Carried by World’s Oldest Person, 118 Y/O Kane Tanaka

By
Ashley Seek
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Getting old is usually never fun.

You become more lethargic, move slower and sickness afflicts you more than you would like.

And then the younger generations suddenly start making boomer jokes about you.

But some of these elderly folk don’t let their age be a barrier to the things they can do and end up being pretty badass.

Just take 118-year-old Kane Tanaka for example.

Tokyo Olympics Torch to be Carried by World’s Oldest Person, 118 Y/O Kane Tanaka

You’re probably in awe from reading the title alone.

But yes, Ms Tanaka is currently the oldest person in the world, who will carry the Olympic torch in May during the Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay.

The relay starts on 25 March and will first go through regions affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami before travelling across every corner of Japan.

The 2021 Tokyo Olympics itself will take place from 23 July to 8 August.

But of course, it wouldn’t make sense for her to walk the entire distance.

CNN reported that her family will push her for most of her leg, which is around 100m. However, Ms Tanaka said she would like to at least walk the final few steps herself.

She claims to have always been a fan of festivals and is really excited to be a part of this one.

Her Life Till Now

Needless to say, being 118 years old would mean Ms Tanaka has had a plethora of experiences.

She was born in 1903 in the village of Wajiro on the island of Kyushu and got married at 19 to a rice shop owner.

Which, by the way, she worked at all the way till 103-years-old.

She also has four children, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

And if you think about it, this means she’s lived through both World Wars, the aforementioned Tohoku tragedy, and COVID-19.

What a legend.

She’s also counted as what is known as a supercentenarian, or someone who’s over the age of 110.

While it may seem like a feat to us, Japan does have quite a number of people over a 100-years-old, with one in 1565 people being at that age range.

Currently, Ms Tanaka stays in a nursing home but has an active lifestyle, even playing math games daily!

One of her great-granddaughters even made a Twitter account (@tanakakane0102) to celebrate her long life.

Eiji Tanaka, her grandson, commented that he hopes his grandmother can be an inspiration to people that age is not a barrier.

Future Goals

So you’ve probably been impressed by her age, attitude and just being an all-around inspiration.

But we haven’t even talked about one of her long term goals.

In 2019, Ms Tanaka was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest living person.

However, the record for the oldest person to ever live is held by a French woman, who lived till age 122.

And Miss Tanaka aims to beat that record.

A very wholesome goal that we wish her all the best in beating!

Be sure to catch Ms Tanaka at the 2021 Olympics!

Feature Image: Twitter (@tanakakane0102)

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Ashley Seek
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