Nina Marzi
Born 1921
Why walk through life, when you can dance?
 
Go for a walk: ‘Oh, Nina’. ‘Hello’. ‘How are you’? ‘How does it feel to be to be hundred’’? I can't believe you already, over a hundred!’ I enjoy my life. I have so many friends that before they were just acquaintances. But now they're all friends.
 
I was an extrovert I think from the time I was born. You know how when you have a party and, ‘come on Nina dance’. I dance. I dance all my life. Nina, she never enters the room. She never comes in the room. Nina ENTERs the room. I remember all girls hated me. Because I would come, I would look through all the boys, and I choose one for the night. I looked at him and all of a sudden he looks at me too. And then we spent the whole night with dance, dance, dance, till it’s over.
My husband. He was a good dancer. He was Italian. That's why I think I chose him. I needed a good lover and a good husband. And he was just that, you know. We dance for money at the different functions, ‘Nina and Omero’. they always played tango. Oh…! It was a showoff. The dresses! I spent all my money on the dresses. Every time must be dressed something extraordinary.
I enjoyed my life. I worked very hard, very hard.
The work, I give life to others. I cure those who are incurable. Usually, I do it in 10 days and 14 days. It all depends how bad you are, if you’re just about to die, it will take longer. You're free of everything. You start second part of your life.
My father found why we are here is to cure asthma. It’s already over 100 years, that's why I will never forget it because I was conceived. So I feel it's mine in a way, my baby too. I know because I love it. And it is in me that whenever I see somebody who's sick, I immediately want to help. Why suffer when you could be well and happy? I can give you a new piece of life. No suffering and fulfilling your life. That's what I do. It has diet. It has a lot of things to do. It's not that easy because you have to give up a lot of things but a reward - you're completely well and happy and you do what you want in life. And that was my ambition. And that's my achievement. And that gives me satisfaction in life. Father was a good healer. So was I. He was very handsome. Very good man, such a good heart. Such good will, everybody cured, and we were known that we cured incurable. Between us we cured maybe a few thousand people, not hundreds, but thousands.
 
Even now when I go for a walk I talk to people. At the park they have benches, you know, benches, I discovered just accidentally, are that wide (gesturing), so you want to get well, lie down. I start pressing on you, opening the chest, because the main thing to open the chest, main thing is breathing. Learn how to breathe. My clinic was absolutely different because I talked to them. I give them the will to live. I give them the sample to see how good it is to be alive. And I cured. Absolutely incurable.
(For her 100th birthday, a couple of people that she cured in her lifetime came along and did testimonials). One man. I'm so glad he found me. Wrote me a beautiful letter. He became a very good dancer and not only dancer, he became famous. He became somebody. ‘Look, this I would not have achieved’. He would be dead.
 
At one stage last year here (pointing to her heart), all of a sudden I feel like a big clump and stopped my breath. And I was clinically dead. I asked Dr after, I said, ‘in that case, what? What should I do? Do I ask for a nurse’? I said, ‘but the nurse come I’ll be dead already’. The Dr said, ‘then go and put medication under your tongue’. ‘But it is in my shower room on the shelf. By the time I get hold of that…, what else can I do’? He said, ‘Die’! I said, ‘I don't want to die’. I knew exactly what I was doing with my patient. I opened the chest. I pressed on the chest. As long as I get to the oxygen, because oxygen is the only thing that will keep you alive. And I was standing there, not afraid, not afraid at all. And the press, press, I only hope that I would have enough time to open the chest and I pressed and pressed and pressed and click. It's true and I'm alive. (Nina resuscitated herself).
 
There were wars. My life was sometimes it's like starvation. Nothing. I mean really up and down, up and down. And I think that that trained me very, very well. Because I can be anybody, can be anything, my body can survive on just crust of bread.
 
Think what you want to make goal of your life, what you want to be and never give up. There is always somewhere there is opening that have been sneaking and you may as well be healthy. Breathe nice, because by breathing my father's method you get enough oxygen to keep all your body working. And when your body can work 100% well, you do the best you can.
 
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Nina is the most vital woman I have ever met. She was true to her Russian roots, so enthusiastic in our interview that she hardly sat on the chair, constantly hovering over it to emphasise her points. She is articulate, passionate, funny, dramatic, tells a compelling story and is full of colour and life. She carries her 100th birthday letter from the Queen with her to prove her age as no one thinks she is older than 90. Nina is the unofficial mayor of Byron Bay, has all her own teeth, and resides at the Feros Care village there.