WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – A 100-year-old woman in our area has found a new passion — cheering for the Atlanta Braves.

“Yeah, they’re my team,” said Chris Benjamin. “I don’t have anybody above them — not even Duke or Carolina.”

Her husband says her fandom is well-known, and she watches every game with intensity, offering plenty of armchair coaching.

“She’s watching it and carrying on, complaining and coaching and telling the coach that he’s not doing the job right,” said Jack Benjamin, Chris’s husband.

Chris said the Braves have become a source of comfort as she has had to give up other activities.

“There’s so much I can’t do anymore,” Chris said. “And that is a therapy for me.”

She’s encouraged by the start of the season and said it’s “really exciting” to watch. Her twin is just as invested, a shared interest that keeps them connected even as hearing makes conversation difficult.

“We get to talking and she can’t understand me. I can’t hear her too well,” Chris said. “And we get way off the subject sometimes.”

The centenarian hopes she might meet some of the players one day, but said what matters most is what the team provides beyond the field.

“We don’t want the Braves to be our idols,” Chris said. “We want them to be our good players — bringing some happiness to people who don’t have it otherwise.”