In the news from Epoch Times on June 14, 2024, an 81-year-old grandmother in Boston, United States, continues to work as a train driver and has been officially recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest train driver. Despite her advanced age, she has no plans to retire.
According to a report on the Guinness World Records website on June 13, the elderly woman named Helen Antenucci works for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and is responsible for driving the Blue Line trains in the northeast Boston area.
Antenucci began her career as a train driver in 1995 when she was 53 years old and has been serving on the Blue Line for nearly 30 years.
With five daughters, Antenucci jokingly said that her job allows her to leave home and enjoy moments of peace and tranquility. She remarked, “I come from a well-known Italian family in East Boston, so nobody dares to disrespect me. Besides, I’ve performed well at work and earned my position within the organization.”
She mentioned that when she started her job, there were only a few female train drivers at the MBTA, but fortunately, she never experienced discrimination from passengers or colleagues. She estimated that about 40% of MBTA’s current employees are women.
Antenucci revealed that her colleagues applied for the Guinness World Records certification on her behalf without informing her in advance. It was only after she passed the certification that she found out she had broken the world record.
She expressed gratitude, saying, “I want to thank all my colleagues, family, friends, and passengers for their support, making every day a wonderful journey.”
Although Antenucci’s 82nd birthday is approaching, she has no retirement plans.
She said, “I will continue to transport passengers to their destinations until my organization says I can’t, but I don’t think that will happen anytime soon.”
It is worth noting that Antenucci is an unofficial ambassador for the New England Aquarium, and her favorite station is the Aquarium Station in downtown Boston, the closest station to the aquarium.