On 21 May, Dr. Manuel de la Peña, MD, PhD—President of the Instituto Europeo de la Salud y del Bienestar Social and a member of LongeviQuest—visited 110-year-old Antonia Figueroa at her home in San Agustín del Guadalix, Spain.
Antonia Figueroa was born in Jaén, Andalusia, Spain, on 8 December 1915. Her grandmother lived to the age of 104, and her brother, Juan Figueroa, is 100 years old as of May 2026. She had five children, including Fidel, aged 88, who lives in France, and her daughter Antonia, aged 83, who still lovingly cares for her mother.
At 106, she had a hip replacement, which had already been operated on when she fell around the age of 96. Following rehabilitation, she successfully regained her mobility.
During the visit, Dr. Manuel de la Peña confirmed that she had always maintained a healthy lifestyle. She never smoked and does not drink alcohol, although she occasionally enjoys a glass of wine or brandy. She loves walking and dancing and keeps her mind active through crossword puzzles, word searches, and crafts such as crocheting, making purses, and creating bracelets.
Even at 110 years old, she said she sleeps very well because she practices half an hour of meditation and prayer before bed each night. She also spoke of her deep faith in God. She told the doctor that the secret to reaching 110 years of age in good health was maintaining a positive attitude, walking, singing, dancing, eating healthily, and, above all, having strong faith.
Dr. de la Peña presented her with a rosary blessed at the Vatican by Cardinal Angelo Acerbi. He also gifted her a copy of his bestselling book, Guía para vivir sanos 120 años (“Guide to Living Healthy for 120 Years”), which shares real-life stories drawn from clinical interviews conducted by the doctor himself.
