102-year-old reveals secret to happy, healthy life

NEW YORK (PIX11) - At 102 years young, Miguel Cruz sports a shock of white hair, can dominate a pool table and is in better shape than most people four decades younger.

His secret? "Be active."

One of seven siblings, Cruz was born in 1911 in Puerto Rico. He left the island in 1936 and headed to the Big Apple, where he enlisted to fight in World War II.

He married the love of his life in 1946 and settled down in Brooklyn, where they welcomed two children. He ultimately received a degree from Baruch College.

"In reality, my secret is to be active, mentally and physically, all my life," Cruz told PIX11 Tuesday.

He's held a countless amount of jobs and was rarely ever sick, undergoing procedures at 68 to remove two cataracts and 98 to replace a heart valve.

Cruz's doctors said, on paper, they would be worried to operate on a patient his age. But once they met Cruz, they realized it wouldn't be a problem.

"He's young at heart. He has a zest for life and he wants to maintain that quality of life," one of his doctors said, emphasizing the importance of a positive attitude for prolonged health.

Cruz turns 103 in August. He said he'll continue in the routine that has treated him well so far, which includes a breakfast of oatmeal, orange juice and coffee (a meal he's had every morning since he left the Army in 1947).