Oldest living Aussie reveals her secrets to long life
Catherina van der Linden, the oldest living Aussie, is preparing to celebrate her 111th birthday this week, a milestone that she passes on August 26.
The great-grandmother, who was born in the Netherlands in 1912, was informed that she was the oldest living person in the country last year when her family received an email on her 110th birthday.
She is also believed to be the oldest known Dutch person in the world.
The great-grandmother lives in Southern Cross Care's West Beach residential facility in Adelaide and credits her longevity to her active lifestyle, including multiple gym sessions and weekly walks.
"Keep on moving, and don't sit still," she said.
"I push myself sometimes when I'm getting a bit tired and I think it's about time to do something to yourself to see that you still have that energy that you had before," she said.
The centenarian is celebrating her birthday on Saturday, and has also said that aside from a healthy lifestyle, being happy and content with what life has to offer is another factor that helped her live a long life.
"I've lived a normal life," she said.
"Sometimes it's not very good and sometimes it's better but you have to take the bad with the good as well and it's possible to make living a joy."
The residential care's manager Catherine Willoughby also said that van der Linden was an inspiration to staff and other residents.
"She's still doing regular walks around the facility, opens the exit doors and around she goes, we've actually got a couple of other new residents that have started doing the same routine," she said.
"She also loves the gym. She goes to the gym two or three times a week. She loves doing her exercises."
"I think it's amazing that she's 111 and the fact that she's still so mobile and still very much alert and oriented to what's happening around her."
The great-grandmother first migrated to Australia with her husband and young family in 1955 and she had various jobs including a grape picker, nursing assistant and typist.
Images: Southern Cross Care / ABC News