Elma McRobbie celebrates her 106th birthday with cards from King Charles, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich. Photo / ODT
When you have lived for over a century, you start to realise just how precious each day really is.
“Make the most of what you’ve got left and get on with it,” Elma McRobbie says.
“You can’t guarantee anything.”
McRobbie is celebrating her 106th birthday today at the Birchleigh Residential Care Centre in Mosgiel.
A special lunch has been organised, and care centre staff are planning to make a proper fuss for her.
At 106, there was certainly no place McRobbie would rather be.
“Neither heaven nor hell want me,” she said.
McRobbie was born on April 25, 1917, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
She was born during World War I and lived through World War II.
Her key to a long life was simple: sports and good food.
“Well, there’s no ‘secret’.
“Go to all the sports you can go to.
“People forget to do any sport and they miss out on a lot of fun.”
She started swimming when she was eight and made it a life-long pursuit.
“I love my swimming, it’s fantastic.
“I started swimming, and I kept swimming; coming up [to] 100 and I was still swimming.”
She also urged people to travel more and to not get hung up on finances.
“Don’t worry too much about money.
“If you can manage, get enough just to be true to your life.
“When I was older, I was still willing to travel.”
McRobbie was always the first one to get to happy hour at the care centre, she said.
She enjoyed a glass of red wine and a bag of potato chips.
To this day, she was still writing her own grocery lists.
She was very grateful for the staff and all they did to help her.
“As you say, in this world - if nobody cared and nobody loved, what a poor old world it would be.”
Wayne Dewes died in hospital from severe injuries.