Diana Gould of London, aged 99, will be the oldest torchbearer carry the Olympic flame after her granddaughter's nomination was accepted.
Gould, who will turn 100 shortly before the Olympics, runs exercise classes in her retirement home, and was chosen because of her dedication to sport.
Mrs Gould says she has already begun training for the occasion. "I am walking up and down holding a candlestick," she said.
"I've seen the torch now – I think the design is lovely and it's fairly comfortable to hold.
"As long as the walk is on the flat I think I'll be OK. The biggest challenge will be the weight of the torch.
"I can't walk quick because I walk with a stick. About halfway I think I will have to change arms because of the weight of the thing."
Mrs Gould insisted her age will have no bearing on her ability to fulfil her torchbearing duties and said she didn't consider herself to be old.
A former badminton and table tennis player, her exercise classes concentrate on improving hand-eye coordination and staying active.
"First of all I don't think I'm old," she said.
"I might be 100 in numbers but I'm not old. I've never thought of myself as old. "I played badminton and table tennis and I was 86 until I moved into this [retirement] flat.
Dominic Macgowan, who will be 12 years old when he carries the flame in Birmingham, will be the youngest torchbearer.
He was nominated via the London organising committee's Get Set programme to find young torchbearers and was chosen because of the character shown when he was forced to retire from gymnastics after an injury.
Macgowan has since worked hard to overcome his disappointment and is now captain of the school football team.
Mrs Gould and Mr Macgowan are part of 8,000 torchbearers who will carry the flame for 70 days on its 8,000-mile tour of Britain.