Featured Image Credit: 9 News
Topics: Australia, World News
Claire Reid
A 106-year-old man has revealed his secret to a long life and says it’s mainly down to what he’s not done rather than what he has.
Aussie Gordon Ewers was born in 1916, meaning he’s lived through two world wars, the great depression during the 1930s and the recent coronavirus pandemic.
Those closest to the fiercely independent great-granddad say he’s ‘still sharp as a tack’ and is able to live on his own and look after himself.
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Speaking to 9 News, Gordon joked: "I'm well. The bloke inside the failing body is alright."
Gordon has said that while many people who live to such an impressive age have a long list of tips and tricks they credit their long lives to, he goes the other way and says it’s actually what he’s avoided that has led to such a long life.
He explained that it’s ‘not so much what I’ve done, but what I haven’t done’, before revealing he’s never smoked or had an alcoholic drink in his life. He’s a much stronger person than I am, I’ll give him that.
Gordon said: “I’ve never smoked and never drunk alcohol in my life. The absence of which is probably one of the helps towards achieving old age.”
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Gordon went on to say that he believes it’s important to ‘live sensibly, breathe regularly, think positively, and live hopefully’.
Despite his age landing him in the news, Gordon appears to think it’s no big deal, but is pleased that he’s lived to such an age.
“I can’t say it’s much of an achievement, it just happened to me, which I’m very happy for it to have done,” he said.
Gordon has two daughters Shirley Burton and Marian Hall, who say he’s a great dad and ‘very easy to get on with’.
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Speaking about her dad Marian said: “He was always loving and always there, and we did lots of things together as a family, and he’s got a great sense of humour. He’s a really good dad.”
While Shirley added: “He’s always been very easy to get on with, and takes life as it comes.”
Well, although Gordon is at an age to certainly be proud of, the world's oldest person celebrated their 119th birthday last month.
Kane Tanaka, who resides in Fukuoka prefecture, south-west Japan, was born on 2 January 1903, six months before English novelist George Orwell.
Eiji, her 62-year-old grandson, told Kyodo news agency: "I would like to personally congratulate her soon.
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"I hope she remains healthy and has fun everyday as she grows older."