I turn 100 in three months. These are the secrets I swear by for a long and happy life, and what I really think about love, alcohol and smoking
An Australian woman who turns 100 in three months says there are two key secrets to a long and happy life: an open mind and a keen interest in other people.
Lorraine Kaemphel, 99, is a Coffs Harbour legend and soon to be a member of the centenarian club.
The grandmother of ten and great-grandmother of eighteen spoke to FEMAIL ahead of her big day about love, health, diet secrets and her enduring passion for tap dancing.
Mrs Kaemphel, born in 1924 at Binnaway near Dubbo in NSW, was one of four siblings and is the last surviving. She has also outlived two husbands.
Lorraine remembers well the death of Queen Mary, the widow of King George V, in 1953. She was 45 when the first man landed on the moon in 1969.
Her radiant complexion is due to a simple soap and water routine. Although she is not against botox, she has never had it done.
“She can’t even see properly yet, but she always looks so well-groomed,” said proud granddaughter Chantel Camilleri.
When Lorraine attended Chantel’s wedding in 2004, she was the last person on the dance floor at 2am, earning her the nickname “dancing grandma”.
Lou Vacher, Chantel Camilleri and grandma Lorraine Kaemphel – who was the last to leave the dance floor at 2am at Chantel’s wedding – earning her the nickname ‘dancing grandma’
Lorraine Kaemphel can still remember her 99 years well – and can even remember being sick one Christmas as a baby (pictured on her 99th birthday)
The 99-year-old still gets up every day to do her makeup and do her hair, but she hasn’t washed or dried her hair in years, preferring to leave that to the hairdresser.
‘I don’t drink or smoke, but I do get my hair done.’
The beloved mother has four daughters (the eldest is 80) and a close-knit family, some of whom live nearby, who are incredibly proud of their ‘nana’.
“I’m very blessed, I have four daughters that I love and they love me. The love of family is everything… loving family is important,” she said.
She said her philosophy on life can best be summed up by something she recently heard on The Bold and The Beautiful: “Getting older is a privilege that not everyone gets.”
The mother of four couldn’t be more proud of her daughters and all their families who manage to stay close and get along well – and often visit their grandmother
Lorraine says her first marriage to Ray Miller at age 18 was one of the mistakes of her life.
“I was too young, but it was war and everyone got married,” she said.
But she is still grateful for it, because it has left her with three ‘sweet’ daughters.
The second time she struck gold with Max Kaemphel, of German descent, who tried in vain to get her to drink. He did, however, reintroduce her to a lifelong love of dancing.
“I love it, the dancing. When I was seven or eight, a lady came to town and she had two daughters about my age, and she was a tap teacher,” she said.
Lorraine returned to dancing in her 70s, after taking two lessons at the age of eight
“It cost 10 cents a lesson and I had two lessons where I learned to shuffle. Then the teacher left town – with someone else’s husband.”
It wasn’t until she was 70 years old, long after her husband had tragically died of a heart attack while talking to her in the backyard, that she decided it was the right time to put on her dancing shoes.
Lorraine is a regular at tap dancing classes, going three times a week with a group of 16 other women.
Her teacher Julie Ross is inspired by Lorraine’s zest for life and always puts Lorraine in the second row so that her poor eyesight does not prevent her from following the movements.
“She still enjoys dressing up in different themed costumes for our concerts, such as Can Can, Irish Modern and Skeletons,” she said.
Lorraine and her second husband loved dancing and going to balls – but he couldn’t convince her to drink regularly
When her doctor rushed her to the hospital for triple bypass surgery at age 76, he noticed that even on the gurney, Lorraine was still dancing with her nimble feet to music that only she could hear beneath the sheets.
The 99-year-old never expected to live this long when she was younger, and she credits her longevity to diet, exercise and a lifelong interest in people.
“In the summer I live on lettuce,” she said.
She used to think of salad as a slice of cold meat and a few slices of cucumber and tomato, but her German husband introduced her to the joys of potato and pasta salads. She has been experimenting with vegetables ever since.
“I still like to cook for myself, even though my daughters sometimes worry about it,” the great-grandmother said.
She still speaks with sadness about the loss of her second husband after almost 30 years of marriage – and has fond memories of their times together at dances and balls (pictured here when she was in her mid-40s)
Lorraine has also never had a weakness for common vices.
“I never had the urge to drink or smoke, even though cigarettes were fashionable. I never liked the effect – I tried but never succeeded,” she said.
Ms. Kaemphel said that before she started dancing, she walked absolutely everywhere. When her vision wasn’t a problem, she also played a little casual tennis.
But on the advice of her hairdresser, she began regular acupuncture treatments at age 85, and has continued to do so ever since.
She swears by the ancient Chinese technique that helps her cope with osteoporosis and triple bypass surgery, and also allows her to take dance lessons.
Lorraine has several great-grandchildren, Violet Vacher follows in her great-grandmother’s footsteps with a love of dance
But it is her genuine interest in people that keeps her young at heart.
I don’t like gossip, but “I like talking and getting to know people,” she said.
‘I go to the hairdresser every Friday and I talk to everyone on the bus. Young people on mobile phones don’t look at you.’
Lorraine never missed an opportunity to make contact and confronted one of her great-granddaughter’s friends about his head being buried in the phone when he came to visit.
She remembers every detail she learns about the people she talks to and often amazes them with her incredible memory of everything they discussed.
Mrs Kaemphel is one of the lucky few who never had Covid and still lives in her own home in Toormina, where she has lived for the past 27 years.
She laughs as she talks about how ridiculous the prices of food and rent have become in the last few decades, and says that there are too many changes in Australia to keep up with.
Her 100th birthday is fast approaching on November 12th. A big party is planned and family and friends are flying in from far and wide.
Like any party animal with something to celebrate, she’s looking for the perfect outfit and has already planned a dance performance with her friends for her guests.
Ms Kaemphel, who remembers having conjunctivitis at Christmas as a baby and has lived through different eras of history, said she is still proud of the Australia of today.
But she did have a message for the Australians.
“I wish everyone could love everyone, no matter what color skin they are, it doesn’t matter. Don’t get fixated on politics or religion,” she said.
She said we need to open ourselves up to others, be kinder, and even turn off the news at night if there’s a story we don’t need to hear.
The advice Lorraine received from her heart surgeon probably sums up her life and her message best: “Keep dancing.”
And she proved that you’re never too old to start.