On Sunday (25 Aug), a 102-year-old woman from the United Kingdom (UK) skydived out of a plane to celebrate her birthday. She became Britain’s oldest skydiver in the process.
Source: The Independent on YouTube
Besides the thrill, Manette Baillie also aimed to raise funds for three charities “very dear” to her heart.
According to The Guardian, Baillie is a military veteran who served with the Women’s Royal Naval Service during WWII in Egypt and was once married to a paratrooper. Yet strangely, it was Baillie’s first time skydiving herself.
However, Baillie is no stranger to adrenaline-fueled activities. Before her 100th birthday, she bravely drove a Ferrari at 130mph.
A large crowd gathered at a Suffolk airfield to witness Baillie’s record-breaking skydive.
“When the door opened I thought, there is nothing more I can do or say. Just jump,” Baillie recounted to the media.
She added, “I remember my legs going out and it’s a kind of blur. I shut my eyes. We seem to travel at a very fast speed.”
Source: The Independent on YouTube
Baillie was inspired to skydive after hearing about a friend’s 85-year-old father’s parachute jump: “If an 85-year-old man can do it, so can I.”
She broke the previous record for Britain’s oldest skydiver, set by Verdun Hayes in May 2017 at 101 years and 38 days old.
Before the attempt, Baillie received supportive messages, including a personal letter from Prince William, who was previously a volunteer for one of Baillie’s beneficiaries, East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA).
In his letter, the Prince of Wales wrote:
Catherine and I hear you will be marking your 102nd birthday next week with a parachute jump! Knowing you celebrated your 100th birthday by racing a Ferrari around Silverstone, we are not surprised. From my time with East Anglian Air Ambulance, I know how many lives are saved due to the generosity of people like you.
The letter was a “complete surprise”, Baillie told the Telegraph.
She said she supports the EAAA because an air ambulance saved her son’s life after a diving accident in 1969.
Through her jump, Baillie raised over £10,000 (S$17,199) toward her £30,000 (S$51,597) goal for the EAAA, Motor Neurone Disease Association, and her local Benhall and Sternfield Ex-Servicemen’s and Village Club.
Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, Baillie said being “fit and well” motivates her to take on thrilling activities.
“I’ve been so lucky to be fit and well that I’ve got to do something with it, that’s really the back of it,” she explained. “I can’t just waste it, other people are crippled with arthritis and I’m not.”
“I really don’t do fear, it’s no good,” she reportedly told BBC Radio 4.
According to Baillie, the secret to a long and fulfilling life is “community, friends and being among people”.
“Keep busy, be interested in everything, be kind to those around you and let them be kind to you. And don’t forget to party,” she added.
Also read: 73-Year-Old Grandma From M’sia Reaches Everest Base Camp, Also Trains At Gyms & Joins Races
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Featured image adapted from @GoldsterClub on X
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