I WANTED TO FIND OUT IDA’S SECRET TO LONGEVITY SO I VISITED
HER AND HER DAUGHTER IN NEW YORK
CITY WHERE THEY CELEBRATED A
VERY SPECIAL OCCASION.
FOR IDA KEELING, THIS WAS NO
ORDINARY BIRTHDAY PARTY.
THE STUDENTS AT THIS NEW YORK
CITY AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM HELPED
THE CENTINARIAN CELEBRATE HER 1
ON 4
ON 4 0104 AND A HALF BIRTHDAY.
>> I NEVER MET SOMEONE WHO WAS
104 YEARS OLD.
>> HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE
GUEST OF EVERYBODY HONORING YOU?
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS WONDERFUL.
>> TODAY THE ATHLETE WHO IS MISS
IDA HOLDS SEVEN RECORDS,
INCLUDING THE FASTEST 100-METER
BY ANYONE OVER THE AGE OF 100.
>> THAT IS A WINNER.
>> BUT IT WAS TRAGEDY THAT
SPARKED MISS IDA’S PASSION TO
RUN.
RUN. HER TWO SONS WERE MURDERED YEARS
APART FROM ONE ANOTHER, SENDING
MISS IDA INTO A DEEP DEPRESSION.
>> SHE WAS SAD ALL OF THE TIME.
AND I WAS DESPERATE.
>> MISS IDA’S DAUGHTER SHELLY
TURNED TO EXERCISE TO HELP HER
THEN 67-YEAR-OLD MOTHER HEAL.
>> I WENT TO HER AND SAID, MOM,
I WANT YOU TO RUN.
I WANT YOU TO GO ON THIS MINI
RUN WITH ME.
THAT MINI RUN WAS ACTUALLY A 5K.
SHE SAYS THAT WHEN SHE WAS
RUNNING, SHE FELT LIKE SHE WAS
COMING UP OUT OF A HOLE.
AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF
THE STORY THAT WE NOW KNOW AS
IDA KEELING.
IDA KEELING. >> TODAY THE MISS IDA STORY
CONTINUES.
CONTINUES. IN HER MEMOIR "CAN’T NOTHING
BRING ME DOWN" SHE RECOUNTS
BEING POOR IN HARLEM AND BEING A
SINGLE MOTHER IN THE GREAT
DEPRESSION.
DEPRESSION. >> YOU ARE LIVING PROOF THAT
CAN’T NOTHING BRING YOU DOWN AND
THAT IS AMAZING.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR THOSE
WHO ARE HEALING, WHETHER IT’S
MENTALLY OR PHYSICALLY?
>> YOU HAVE TO LOVE YOU, ENJOY
YOU.
YOU. THAT’S YOUR BODY AND YOU’RE
RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
>> WHILE THIS ATHLETE MAY NOT
RUN LIKE SHE USED TO, SHE HAS NO
PLANS OF SLOWING DOWN.
>> HELLO, MISS IDA!
>> SHE PROVED IT BY SHOWING ME
HER DAILY STRETCH AND PUSH-UP
ROUTINE.
ROUTINE. >> YOU’RE STRONG!
I NOW HAVE THE FRONT ROW TICKET
TO WHATEVER YOUR SECRET IS, YOUR
SECRET TO LONGEVITY AND AGING
BEAUTIFULLY.
BEAUTIFULLY. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE KBER SIZE?
>> I LOVE TO DANCE.
>> SO YOU LIKE TO DO A LITTLE
DANCING.
DANCING. WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO FOOD?
>> WE START OFF WITH OATMEAL.
>> WHAT DO YOU DRINK THE MOST OF
NOW?
NOW? >> RIGHT NOW I HAVE A LITTLE
HENNY.
HENNY. >> A LITTLE HENNY?
I LOVE THAT.
SO YOU GO FROM OATMEAL TO
WHISKEY.
WHISKEY. WHILE MISS IDA LOVES TO DO
EVERYTHING, IT’S HER BOUNDLESS
ENERGY THAT KEEPS INSPIRING
OTHERS, LIKE THE KIDS AT HER
BIRTHDAY PARTY.
BIRTHDAY PARTY. >> EVEN AT 104 AND A HALF, SHE’S
STILL RUNNING AND THAT’S GOT TO
BE REALLY HARD TO DO.
>> IF SHE CAN DO IT, WE CAN DO
IT.
IT. >> WE THINK YOU’RE A GREAT
INSPIRATION.
INSPIRATION. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MISS IDA!
>> SHE REALLY IS SO REMARKABLE,
YOU GUYS.
YOU GUYS. AND I HAVE TO SAY, I TRIED
OATMEAL AND PRUNES YESTERDAY.
IT GETS YOUR BODY WORKING.
>> MY GRANDMA LIKED PRUNES.
WHY NOT?
WHY NOT? >> THEY’RE RIGHT.