Wednesday, February 27, 2013

  Oldest Woman: Japanese Woman breaks Guinness world record (VIDEO)

OSAKA, Japan -- Misao Okawa, a 114-year-old woman living in Japan, the daughter of a kimono maker, who turns 115 next week, sets the new world record as the oldest woman alive , according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/.

  Photo: Misao Okawa, 114, with her two-month-old great-grandson Hibiki. Photograph: Itsuo Inouye/AP ( enlarge photo )

 The Guinness world record for the Oldest woman to fly in zero gravity was set by Dorothy Simpson (USA, b. 27 November 1924), who successfully participated in a zero-gravity flight on an Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft, aged 79 years 237 days.

  Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the oldest woman to climb the Seven Summits including Kosciuszko, set by Jeanne Stawiecki (USA, b. 24 June 1950), who completed her last climb (Mt Everest, Nepal) on 22 May 2007, aged 57 years and 36 days.

Misao Okawa who was born to a clothing merchant in 1898 and now lives in the western city of Osaka, received a Guinness world record certificate acknowledging her status.

   Receiving her official Guinness World Records certificate, the 114-year-old, who lives in the Japanese city of Osaka said "given everything, it's pretty good."

  Okawa married in 1919 and has three children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

  Misao Ookawa, who now lives in a nursing home, has three children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

  After a meal of her favorite mackerel sushi, Okawa nodded off as she sat in her wheelchair, her 3-month-old great grandson, Hibiki Okawa, at her side. But she woke up to speak to a reporter. Asked for her secret for longevity, she said it was to "watch out for one's health."

  The world's oldest man is also Japanese. Jiroemon Kimura is 115-years-old. He attributes his longevity to sunlight and his efforts to keeping his mind fit.