Social media sensation Pauline Kana, known online as Gangster Granny,celebrated her 100th birthday over the weekend
Born August 1, 1926, Kana has lived through the Great Depression, World War II, and, more recently, colon cancer, which she was diagnosed with at 96 and successfully underwent treatment for
She currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, with her grandson, Ross Smith, who runs her Instagram account. The two regularly post comedy content and clips of Kana attending major events, including the2026 World Cup and the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
“I’m very proud of her,” Smith told Today about his grandmother. “It’s never too late to live your best life, and I think Granny’s a walking testament of that.”
Speaking to the outlet in honor of her milestone birthday, the centenarian shared six tips for livinga long life
Keep busy
One of the ways Kana says she maintains her mental acuity is through “faith and hard work.”
“I love to do work and be a busybody,” Kana said. “I’ve always worked.”
After building bomb shelters during World War II, she worked at General Motors, General Electric and spent more than 20 years at a bakery. She later took a job at a dollar store in her Eighties, Today reported
Move your body
Similarly, to maintain physical health, Kana urges people to keep their bodies moving. According to Today, she grew up swimming in a nearby river every morning and walked a mile to school each way. She also played basketball, roller-skated and ice-skated
Smith said Kana has only recently slowed down a bit and uses a walker or a cane outside of the house
The advice echoes that of fellow centenarian Dick Van Dyke, who also shared in December 2025, that the key to his longevity is staying active
“I’ve always loved the old soft shoe. It’s just something about it, the old soft shoe, it flows. And my wife and I do it together,” the Mary Poppins star shared on a December 2025 Today show segment. “She keeps me young because we sing and we dance, and she just keeps me a teenager.”
Eat what makes you happy
While doctors have spent decades preaching a healthy dietas a key factor to a long life, Kana insisted that balance is more important
Despite being raised on a farm and growing up eating home-cooked meals made from fresh ingredients, Kana acquired quite the sweet tooth after working in a bakery
“I love sweets. I truly do,” she admitted, as Smith insisted that his grandmother “has the worst diet on earth.”
One long-term study done at Tufts University found that eating a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafood helped the offspring of centenarians lead similarly long lives
“Nutrition is an impactful, non-genetic factor that is under someone’s control that could influence how long they live and how long they live a healthy life,” said Erfei Zhao, the author of the study. The findings suggested that the offspring of long-lived parents consumed diets better for metabolic, heart and brain health
Laugh a lot
Given the lighthearted nature of her videos, Kana firmly believes thatlaughter is the best medicine. A majority of her videos, thought up by Smith, feature Kana in humorous scenarios
In one clip, posted in April, Kana is seen walking a robot vacuum on a leash. “She’s so blazed, she thought a remote control vacuum was her dog,” the video read
Explaining his initial motivation to upload funny videos of his grandma, Ross shared: “I always thought it’d be funny to take a sweet lady and flip everything upside down, involve her in hip-hop culture, make her resonate with millennials.”
Live with a purpose
Another important element in Kana’s life is “waking up every day knowing that she has family and friends, but also millions of people that admire her, and she can make them laugh and smile,” Smith revealed
“A big thing for her is having purpose,” he said. “I think that’s also a big factor into giving her that extra boost to get out of bed maybe when she doesn’t want to.”
Embrace adventure
Kana has spent the last several years working through her bucket list, with her latest adventures set to become the focus of a new documentary, per Today
Earlier this year, she set the Guinness World Record as the oldest person to crowd surf. In May, she attended a Brantley Gilbert concert, where the then-99-year-old was passed across the 20,000-strong crowd, securely strapped to a padded stretcher for safety
