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."
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