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World’s oldest skydiver dies after record-breaking jump

Just weeks after becoming the oldest person to complete a tandem skydive, 104-year-old Dorothy Hoffner has passed away. On October 1st, the Chicago native <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/retirement-life/104-year-old-woman-becomes-world-s-oldest-skydiver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke a world record</a> by jumping out of a plane with a professional skydiver. Her incredible display of bravery captured global attention, with her amazing feat being recognised by the Guinness World Records association. Less than two weeks after her historic freefall, Dorothy passed away peacefully. In a statement to <a href="https://people.com/inspiring-104-year-old-woman-dies-1-week-after-becoming-world-oldest-skydiver-8349727" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a> magazine, Skydive Chicago and the United States Parachute Association confirmed the news of her death. “We are deeply saddened by Dorothy’s passing and feel honoured to have been a part of making her world-record skydive a reality,” the statement read. “Skydiving is an activity that many of us safely tuck away in our bucket lists. But Dorothy reminds us that it’s never too late to take the thrill of a lifetime.” “We are forever grateful that skydiving was a part of her exciting, well-lived life.” “Her legacy is even more remarkable because of the attention the world gave to her inspiring story.” According to a close friend of Hoffner’s, Joe Conant, the Chicago record-breaker passed away peacefully in her sleep. He also told the <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-dorothy-hoffner-skydive-chicago-obituary-20231010-bebci7alezdvnmrc4advc7lnm4-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago Tribune</a> that despite her 104 years, her death was unexpected. “It came as quite a shock,” Conant said. “She gave an incredible amount of her spirit and life to all of us, and it inspired all of us.” Image credits: ABC 7 Chicago / Skydive Chicago

Caring

104-year-old woman becomes world's oldest skydiver

A 104-year-old Chicago woman is believed to be the oldest person in the world to tandem skydive, after jumping off a plane from 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) in northern Illinois. On Sunday the 1st of October, Dorothy Hoffner left her walker behind without hesitation and hopped on a Skyvan to set a world record. The 104-year-old could not contain her excitement as she sat on the plane. “Let’s go, let’s go, Geronimo!” she said. Hoffner first started skydiving when she was 100, and initially had to be pushed out of the aircraft, but this time around, things were different. The centenarian insisted on leading the jump while tethered to a U.S. Parachute Association-certified instructor. She was cool and confident as the plane doors opened to reveal the golden crop fields below. Hoffner fearlessly tumbled out of the plane head first and successfully did a forward roll before freefalling from 13,500 feet in the air. The dive lasted seven minutes, including the parachutes slow descent on to the ground. As soon as she landed at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, just 140 km southwest of Chicago, friends rushed in to share their congratulations. When asked how it felt to be back on land she simply replied with: “Wonderful." “But it was wonderful up there. The whole thing was delightful, wonderful, couldn’t have been better." <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rQQyc9kRfio?si=3uj4x5hTPyyU6HrJ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Moments after her touchdown, the centenarian told the cheering crowd: “Age is just a number." The previous Guinness World Record for oldest skydiver was set in May 2022 by 103-year-old Swedish woman Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson. Skydive Chicago is currently working with Guinness World Records to certify Hoffner's jump as a record according to WLS-TV. Hoffner's final message for those who haven't tried it: “Skydiving is a wonderful experience, and it’s nothing to be afraid of. Just do it." Images: ABC 7 Chicago / Skydive Chicago

Retirement Life

90-year-old-with chronic leukaemia skydives for charity

A thrill-seeking 90-year-old has celebrated her birthday - in what some would call an unconventional manner for her age - by skydiving, and raising £5,000 for a homeless charity in the process. Shirley Robinson, from Long Clawson in Leicestershire, jumped out of a plane at 14,000ft for the fundraiser at Skydive Langar in Nottinghamshire. Shirley, who was diagnosed with chronic leukaemia in 2022, raised funds for Crisis, a charity that provides help and support for homeless people. She told BBC News, “It's just wonderful how generous people have been. It's lovely.” Footage of her dive saw Shirley styled in a bright blue jumpsuit as she was cheered on by family and friends before getting on the plane. She smiled and waved at the camera as she was strapped to her skydiving instructor. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsZGxykN0PN/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsZGxykN0PN/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Skydive Langar (@skydivelangar)</a> </div> </blockquote> After Shirley’s adrenaline packed skydive, she landed safely in a field and can be heard in the video exclaiming, “That was wonderful.” When asked about her favourite part of the experience, she responded, “That was lovely, going through the clouds.” She confessed afterwards that the free fall was a “bit breathtaking” but she “loved it” before thanking her instructor for looking after her. Shirley returned to a hero’s welcome with her beaming friends and family congratulating her. A spokesperson for the charity said, “We want to say an enormous thank you to Shirley for the incredible amount of money she has raised. “Shirley's donation will provide vital support for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We're so grateful.” Image credit: Instagram

Retirement Life

"10 seconds left to live": Skydive survivor recalls horror moment

Young Aussie Emma Carey has recalled the gut-wrenching moment she realised she only had “10 seconds left to live” during a freak skydiving accident that happened nine years ago. Emma Carey, now almost 29, is lucky to be alive after her parachute became tangled and then strangled her instructor during a tandem skydive. The pair fell 14,000ft out of the sky. The accident unfortunately went down on the fifth day of her three-month long overseas trip when she decided to skydive in Switzerland alongside her best friend. Emma realised something was seriously wrong when she spotted the parachute flapping out in front of her rather than in the air above. When the parachute was finally deployed it became tangled with the strings of the safety chute and choked her instructor, causing him to pass out almost instantly. “I remember thinking, oh my god Jemma will have to find me on the ground, I remember thinking about my family and the main thing I remember feeling is regret for not embracing myself fully up until that point” she shared. The then-20-year-old copped the brunt of the fall, landing facedown with the instructor on top of her. Quickly trying to roll him off, she became distraught realising she couldn’t feel anything from the waist down. Ms Carey was rushed to hospital where surgeons operated on her back and pelvis. Her spine was broken in two places, rendering her a paraplegic. After recovering from surgery, she was reunited with her family and friends in Australia where she started rehabilitation. By some miracle, she slowly but surely began to get the feeling back in her legs and eventually learned to walk, albeit with a small limp. However, Ms Carey has remained positive throughout the ordeal and now looks at the terrifying moment she felt sure she was going to die as a “rebirth”. “I know how it feels. To think I only have 10 seconds left to live and now I get the rest of my life, whatever that is, so I think it's actually really nice for me to have that memory because it helps to keep me grateful,” she said. Carey has written a book “the girl who fell from the sky” detailing the day her life was changed forever. It has been nine years since the shocking incident and little did she know, nine years later she would be where she is today. Image: Nine

Travel Trouble

"Miracle I'm alive": Tragic way grandfather survived skydiving fall

After surviving a fall of 12,000 feet in a terrifying skydiving accident, a Victorian grandfather has praised the man who saved his life. Christopher Rantall was doing a tandem jump with his instructor Arron Toepfer when the pair got into difficultly when their parachutes didn't open. As they plummeted towards a paddock in Torquay, Arron turned in the last seconds of the fall to cushion the blow for Christopher and did not survive the impact. In an emotional interview, Christopher spoke to 7News about the traumatic ordeal. “It still gets to me. Arron basically sacrificed his life (so) that I can live, or have a chance at living,” the grandfather said. “I personally believe it is a miracle that I’m alive and another miracle that I’m as able-bodied as I am.” He shared the skydiving experience with his daughter Raya, as part of her birthday present and a bucket list wish for Christopher. The grandfather said he was having the time of his life until he realised something was wrong. “Arron has gone to release the first chute - It didn’t work,” the 54-year-old said. “I didn’t know and I’m just loving this free-fall and we’re just going down and down and down.” Christopher said he realised the severity of the situation once they were in a vertical position and he noticed the secondary chute was not filling with air. “At the same time I could see Raya above us, so I was like: ‘Oh, we’re in trouble here’,” he said. Raya had jumped first but her father overtook them as he fell at up to 200km/h. After not remembering the impact of the crash, Christopher spent two weeks in hospital with a dislocated hip, bleeding into his spleen and some broken bones. The 54-year-old praises his instructor for saving his life, and insists he won't skydive again. “For someone to put their life in danger to save a stranger - how brave do you have to be to do that,” he said. Image credits: 7News

Travel Trouble

What’s it like to go indoor skydiving?

Indoor skydiving is a fun way to experience what it is like to fly through the air with the greatest of ease. Q. What is Indoor skydiving exactly? Indoor skydiving is where you simply lean forward inside a giant glass tunnel into a column of air and float effortlessly into flight guided by qualified instructors. There's no parachute, no jumping, and nothing attaching you to planet earth! It's just you, 'flying' in the air and getting an incredible adrenaline rush. Q. Is indoor skydiving safe? Yes. Every aspect of the wind tunnel design has been carefully considered to create a fully controlled environment that provides total safety. Certified and highly-trained instructors are with you at all times during your flight, to give guidance and reassurance. Q. Is it hard to breathe during the flight? Not at all. It’s a similar sensation to sticking your head out of a car window when it’s moving. You’ll feel the wind rush over your whole body as it lifts you effortlessly upwards. Just breathe normally and enjoy the ride. Q. How long is a flight? Each flight within the wind tunnel lasts for almost 1 minute. That’s actually more freefall time than a skydive from 14,000 feet. Standard flight packages includes 2 flights, with an instructor helping you make the most of your time. You can also choose to add additional flights to your packages. The whole experience normally takes approximately 1.5 hours, however this will be dependent on your group size and how many flights you are doing. Q. Is indoor skydiving scary? It’s really exciting and challenging, but indoor skydiving isn't what we call scary. You don’t have to leap off anything and there’s no sensation of falling or anything that could make you feel motion sickness. Anyone can try it. Q. Do I jump in from the top? No, you just step into the flight chamber at ground level with your flight instructor. First time flyers generally only fly a couple of metres above the net with your instructor beside you all the way. Q. Who can fly? There’s no experience required, so beginners, intermediates and experts can all fly. Of course, you need to be in good health and physical condition. If you’ve had a prior shoulder dislocation or back or neck problems, you need to contact the company before booking to discuss your suitability. Anyone with a hard plaster cast, who is pregnant or under the influence of alcohol or non-prescriptive drugs is also unable to fly. Facilities are wheelchair accessible and can fly people with certain physical disabilities, including amputation and paraplegia. Q. How old do you have to be? Flyers can be as young as 3 years old, with no upper age limit. Children under 18 years of age need to have a parent or guardian’s signature on their waiver. As indoor skydiving has taken off, there's bound to be a venue near you! Have you gone indoor skydiving before? What was it like? Let us know in the comments. Written by Editor. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/wyza-life/whats-it-like-to-go-indoor-skydiving.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Technology

81-year-old skydives to mark 10 years free of cancer

Meet Anna Mae Mliner, an 81-year-old cancer survivor who decided to live life to the fullest when she got the all clear a decade ago. Before being diagnosed with cancer, the Wisconsin had always wanted to tick off skydiving on her bucket list. When she was told she was cancer-free in 2008, she celebrated by skydiving for the first time. “It was the scariest thing I could do that would compare to hearing the words you have cancer," Mliner told a <a href="http://www.cbs58.com/news/an-81-year-old-cancer-survivor-skydives-on-her-10th-anniversary-being-cancer-free" target="_blank">local news station</a>. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwisconsinskydiving%2Fvideos%2F10155345519804820%2F&show_text=0&width=225" width="225" height="400" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Now 10 years later, Mliner marked the decade anniversary with another sky-dive. Touchingly, Mliner carries a list of names of friends who have died from, or who are currently battling, the disease while she skydives. “Don’t wait to do the things you want to do," said Mliner.

Body

Great-grandma skydives for 92nd birthday

Meet Phyllis Guthrie, the great-grandma who just celebrated her 92nd birthday by skydiving. Anybody who knows Phyllis wouldn’t be surprised by her daring choice of birthday celebration. At age 78, Phyllis earned a doctorate degree in education. At 82, she climbed a mountain in the Alps. And at age 87, she acted in The Vagina Monologues. So it only seems fitting that the great-grandmother decided to jump out of a plane at age 92. Two days after her birthday, Phyllis wore her most sensible orthopedic shoes, had a coffee with her daughter, and then drove to an open field. "I feel kind of numb," the Texas woman said. "I don't feel nervous at all. I'm not afraid. I just feel sort of level." The retired professor – who has four children, five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren – said sky-diving has always been on her bucket list. "I want to leave a legacy," she said. "Someday, people can say, 'Do you remember that lady who jumped out of an airplane?'” <img width="508" height="286" src="http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/c/x/6/g/c/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1cx6ee.png/1468619112179.jpg" alt="A pleased Phyllis Guthrie after her descent." class="photoborder" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> And they certainly will, as Phyllis’ skydive went off without a hitch. As she landed, she exclaimed, "That sure was something.” As the instructors helped her untangle herself from the parachute, Ian Houchin, a fellow jumper, offered an arm. "You are my hero," he said. "Do you think you'd do this again?" "Well, yes," she replied. "But not now." Resting on a picnic bench after the adrenaline-filled adventure, Phyllis said, "I can't believe I did it. I'll tell you the strangest part. Getting pushed out of the plane. You don't have time to think. It feels like you're falling forever." Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/how-to-build-your-legacy/">How to build your legacy</a> <a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/the-simple-yet-powerful-tool-to-plan-your-retirement/">The simple yet powerful tool to plan your retirement</a> <a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/retirement-doesnt-have-to-sap-your-self-esteem/">Retirement doesn’t have to sap your self-esteem</a>

Mind

100-year-old skydiver breaks record

Irene O’Shea, a 100-year-old grandmother, has made history has the oldest person ever to skydive in South Australia. The brave centenarian took the plunge for a cause close to her heart – to raise much-needed funds for Motor Neurone Disease research. Sadly, O’Shea’s daughter Shelagh passed away from the illness in 2008. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, I thought this a good opportunity to do it,” she told <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/31818142/skydiving-granny-makes-history/#page1" target="_blank">7 News</a>. “I'm feeling great, I’m a bit excited.” Take a look at her adrenaline-filled feat in the video above. Have you ever jumped out of a plane before? Share your story with us in the comment section below. Video: 7 News Related links: <a href="/news/news/2016/05/82-year-old-abseils-melbourne-skyscraper-for-charity/">82-year-old abseils Melbourne skyscraper for charity</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/05/89-year-old-abseils-21-storey-building/">89-year-old abseils 21-storey building</a> <a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/91-year-old-celebrates-birthday-skydiving/">Daring 91-year-old celebrates birthday by skydiving</a>

News

Daring 91-year-old celebrates birthday by skydiving

Margaret Walton, who lives at an over-50s community on NSW's Tweed Heads, has been wanting to cross skydiving off her bucket list for years, and this week she finally took the plunge to celebrate her 91st birthday. The former hotel receptionist parachuted 360 metres above Kirra beach on Queensland’s Gold Coast in Australia. The incredible image of Margaret perched at the edge of plane, preparing for the initial free fall, shows her looking anything but scared. She says of the experience “It was a magical feeling. One minute you’re waiting on the edge, the next you can see everything. I’m so thankful I did it”. Margaret has been wanting to take the plunge for several years, but she said it was only recently that she plucked up the courage to carry through with it. 'I've been wanting to do it for a long time but I had to work up the guts. When I was 85 I signed up to do it but there were some snags with getting the green light from my regular doctor, who was away on leave.' Gold Coast Skydiving instructor Wayne Bishop said he was impressed with the fearlessness of his eldest female client. “She surprised me. She was really switched on and embraced the whole experience”. Mr Bishop said. “Even in the 45 seconds of free fall she was relaxed enough to enjoy it and not freaked out”. Scroll through the gallery above to see all the images of Margaret’s daredevil birthday celebration. Images: Gold Coast Skydive Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/85-year-old-navy-veteran-learns-to-tap-dance/">85-year-old Navy veteran learns to tap-dance</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/5-new-hobbies-to-try-now/">5 new hobbies to try now</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/04/why-you-should-still-set-an-alarm-when-you-retire/">Why you should still set an alarm when you retire</a>

Retirement Life

Grandma loses dentures while skydiving

At the young age of 72, Polly Chester from Virginia in the US decided she wanted to try skydiving. But Polly and her instructor got more than they bargained for when they jumped out of a plane late last month. A video shows Polly grinning moments after the jump but the smile was soon wiped off as Polly’s denture flew out with the force of the wind. "When I closed my mouth, I realized they were gone," Chester told FOX 13 of her dentures. The dentures hit the instructor in the head, but thankfully he was fine and both landed safely. “I'm glad I didn't knock him out," Polly said. Polly said of completing her sky dive, "Everybody had a lot of fun over it and so did I," she said, before adding that it did turn out to be "an expensive jump." The dentures cost more than she paid for the skydive!

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World’s oldest skydiver dies after record-breaking jump

104-year-old woman becomes world's oldest skydiver

90-year-old-with chronic leukaemia skydives for charity

"10 seconds left to live": Skydive survivor recalls horror moment

"Miracle I'm alive": Tragic way grandfather survived skydiving fall

What’s it like to go indoor skydiving?

81-year-old skydives to mark 10 years free of cancer

Great-grandma skydives for 92nd birthday

100-year-old skydiver breaks record

Daring 91-year-old celebrates birthday by skydiving

Grandma loses dentures while skydiving

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Catalogues

Travel

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Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

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Information

Keep up to date

Search

World’s oldest skydiver dies after record-breaking jump

104-year-old woman becomes world's oldest skydiver

90-year-old-with chronic leukaemia skydives for charity

"10 seconds left to live": Skydive survivor recalls horror moment

"Miracle I'm alive": Tragic way grandfather survived skydiving fall

What’s it like to go indoor skydiving?

81-year-old skydives to mark 10 years free of cancer

Great-grandma skydives for 92nd birthday

100-year-old skydiver breaks record

Daring 91-year-old celebrates birthday by skydiving

Grandma loses dentures while skydiving

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