104-YEAR-OLD WOMAN BREAKS RECORD FOR OLDEST PERSON SKYDIVING
You're never too old to achieve your dreams or break records. A 104-year-old Chicago woman named Dorothy Hofner is a prime example. She became the oldest skydiver and spent her life skydiving. After completing a tandem jump with the Americans, the Parachute Association certified instructor touched the ground, she proudly said: "Age is just a number."
Hoffner took to the skies over northern Illinois with the help of Skydive Chicago and headed to Ottawa for the jump. She was very excited, but this wasn't the first time she had jumped out of a plane. Hoffner's first skydive took place several years ago, when she was 100 years old. That time her instructor helped her push off with her, but this time she insisted on leading the tandem jump from 13,500 feet.
A clip shared by Skydive Chicago shows Hoffner walking with determination to the plane in a red walker, before she is helped onto the plane. She sits among her fellow skydivers, smiling and waiting for the moment to escape. As soon as the tailgate opens, the woman confidently jumps head first from the plane. After tumbling forward into the air, the woman grabs onto a harness and enjoys a free fall. After a few minutes, your instructor will open your parachute and prepare to slowly descend to the ground. Before Hoffner's jump, the record for the oldest skydiver was held by Sweden's Linnea Ingegard Larsson, 103, in May 2022.
Skydive Chicago is now asking Guinness World Records to recognise Hoffner's jump as a new record. Hoffner seems happy with her success, and she says the jump was a great experience. "It was amazing over there. Everything was amazing and wonderful and nothing could have been better," she enthused. Having achieved this feat of hers, she is now thinking about her next adventure. Since she turns 105 in December, she wants to celebrate by riding in a hot air balloon, "which she's never done before."