102-Year-Old Granny Becomes World’s Oldest Skydiver

102-year-old great-grandmother has become the world’s oldest skydiver after plunging 14,000 feet through the South Australian sky. Centenarian Irene O’Shea completed her first skydive to mark her 100th birthday in the year 2016, but organizers this time believe that the successful tandem dive at the age of 102 years and 194 days will earn her a place in the history books.

After completing the dive, great-grandmother Irene O’Shea said she felt normal after the 220 kilometer per hour (140 mph) dive. She said, “It was very clear up there and the weather was good but it was very cold”.

The brave granny took the challenge in order to raise funds for a motor neurone disease, a degenerative condition that killed her daughter, Shelagh Fitz Henry at the age of 67 years. O’Shea’s bravery is an evidence to both, a mother’s unending love and her deep grief, when she says, “I lost my daughter to that terrible disease 10 years ago and I miss her”.

In the hope to help find a cure for the disease, last year O’Shea raised 12,000 Australian dollars (about $8,600) by skydiving and she is planning to raise another 10,000 Australian dollar (about $7,200) from this jump. The money will go to the Motor Neurone Disease Association of South Australia.

O’Shea is also competing to claim the designation of oldest female tandem sky jumper in the world, thinking that the elder competition might get some support for her cause. She has therefore applied for the designation after her jump this Sunday. As Guinness World Records recognizes only oldest male and female in the category, rather than the oldest person.

In the records of Guinness World Records, Estrid Geertsen, who made a 13,000-foot jump in Denmark in the year 2004, when she was 100 years old and 60 days, presently holds the title for the oldest female tandem jumper in the world. Geertsen has since died.

While the oldest male tandem jumper is 102-year-old Ken Meyer of New Jersey, who made this record jump last year. His achievement is under review by Guinness World Records.

If O’Shea is certified in the female category by the Guinness World Records, she will also beat Meyer, as she is 102 years and 193 days means she is three weeks older than Meyer when he made his jump.

Great-grandmother Irene O'Shea lives a healthy life in her home, where she moved after her arrival in Australia from England in the year 1974. She drives her own car and does not require reading glasses. After this record jump, her zeal and enthusiasm seems ceases to end, as she says, “Possibly I will jump next year. And if I live long enough, I’ll jump at 105”.