Current:Home > Finance'Age is just a number:' 104-year-old jumps from plane to break record for oldest skydiver -TradeBridge
'Age is just a number:' 104-year-old jumps from plane to break record for oldest skydiver
View
Date:2025-04-15 00:43:36
A 104-year-old Chicago woman proves that you're never too old to try something new, even if that thing is jumping out of a plane.
“Age is just a number,” Dorothy Hoffner told the Chicago Tribune, after becoming the oldest person to skydive on Sunday, pending Guinness World Records verification.
The centennial left her walker behind as she was made her way to the Skyvane plane in Ottawa, Illinois, 85 miles south of Chicago.
Hoffner first went skydiving when she was 100 years old and had to be pushed out of the plane. This time around, she willingly and joyfully led the tandem 13,500 foot jump.
Skydiving records:73-year-old adventurer, Air Force specialists set skydiving record over New Mexico
“Let’s go, let’s go, Geronimo!” Hoffner said after she was finally seated on the plane, the Tribune reported.
The entire dive took seven minutes.
More:She turned 95. She spent her day jumping out of an airplane in Hawaii.
“Skydiving is a wonderful experience, and it’s nothing to be afraid of. Just do it," Hoffner told NBC Chicago.
As her feet made it back on land, friends rushed to her side to congratulate her, the Tribune reported.
"Wonderful," Hoffner said about being back on the ground. "But it was wonderful up there. The whole thing was delightful, wonderful, couldn't have been better."
More:WWII nurse checks skydiving off her bucket list on her 100th birthday
Setting a world record
Skydive Chicago is working with the Guinness World Record to certify Hoffner's jump as a record.
Sweden's Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson earned the previous Guinness World Record record in May 2022 when she was 103 years old.
But Hoffner, who turns 105 this December, is not done trying new things. Her next move is to hopefully take a hot air balloon ride.
“I’ve never been in one of those,” she said.
veryGood! (178)
Related
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Julie Chrisley's Heartbreaking Prison Letters Detail Pain Amid Distance From Todd
- Chrysler recalling more than 330,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees due to steering wheel issue
- Big Little Lies Fans: Get Your First Look at Liane Moriarty’s Next Show Apples Never Fall
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- EAGLEEYE COIN: The Impact of Bitcoin ETFs on the Cryptocurrency Space
- In the mood for a sweet, off-beat murder mystery? 'Elsbeth' is on the case
- Biden gets annual physical exam, with summary expected later today
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Box of hockey cards found at home sells for $3.7m, may contain Wayne Gretzky rookie cards
Ranking
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Why did the Texas Panhandle fires grow so fast?
- Jam Master Jay killing: Men convicted of murder nearly 22 years after Run-DMC's rapper's death
- More than 330,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees are recalled to fix steering wheel issue
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Officials describe how gunman killed 5 relatives and set Pennsylvania house on fire
- Donna Summer estate sues Ye and Ty Dolla $ign, saying they illegally used ‘I Feel Love’
- What time does 'Survivor' Season 46 start? Premiere date, episode sneak peak, where to watch
Recommendation
2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
How to help elderly parents from a distance: Tech can ease logistical, emotional burden
Laurene Powell Jobs’ philanthropy seeks to strengthen communities with grants for local leaders
'Sopranos' star Drea de Matteo says OnlyFans 'saved' her after vaccine stance lost her roles
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Is Uber-style surge pricing coming to fast food? Wendy's latest move offers a clue.
Biden administration offering $85M in grants to help boost jobs in violence-plagued communities
2024 NFL draft: Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. leads top 5 wide receiver prospect list