An Australian woman recently celebrated her birthday by leaping out of a plane 14,000 feet in the air, becoming the oldest person to ever do so.
Irene O’Shea took the plunge to celebrate her 102nd birthday and raise money for Motor Neurone Disease (Lou Gehrig ’s disease), which took her daughter’s life years ago.
This is O’Shea’s third time partaking in the daring activity with SA Skydiving, which describes the woman as “an absolute joy to have in the drop zone.”
The old woman jumps off with her guide
On Dec. 9, O’Shea and her three-time instructor boarded a plane for takeoff. After going over the safety measures, the two completed a “smooth, beautiful freefall” that ended with a “perfect” landing near excited friends and family.
When a local news station asked O’Shea about being an adrenaline junkie, she replied, “As far as I’m concerned I’m the same as everyone else, just a normal person.”
While O’Shea might be the current record holder, she certainly isn’t the first person to celebrate a milestone birthday with such an adventurous activity.
Flying through the sky
When Michigan woman Dottie Sambiagio turned 90 in August, she was inspired to follow in George H. W Bush’s footsteps and take the plunge, literally, by going skydiving. She described the experience as “wonderful.”