Manette Baillie, 102-year-old from Suffolk, took the title of Britain’s oldest skydiver and celebrated her birthday by jumping off an aircraft. The courageous centenarian who accomplished the dangerous deeds stated that it was a mission accomplished.
Baillie undertook the skydive to raise funds for three charities that hold special significance for her: the East Anglian Air Ambulance, Motor Neurone Disease Association, and Benhall Village Hall. Until now, she has been able to collect £9,000, though her target stands at £30,000.
Baillie recalled her experience of how she arrived at that historic leap. “When the door was opened, I told myself, there is nothing more that I can do or say…only to jump,” the survivor explained.
Perhaps it is still the shock, but she cannot recall much: “Oh, I watched my legs evaporate and it seems that everything happened very fast… I closed my eyes.”
Her supporters also came out in large numbers during the event, with Baillie being a resident of the area since 1961. They assembled at the Suffolk airfield, clapping her on the back as she safely touched the ground.
This new record leap means that Baillie will remain etched in record books, but in addition to that, she has impacted a community’s lives and demonstrated that at 102, life is still a great adventure.
Manette Baillie demonstrates that one does not need to dream small because innovation and venturing can be achieved regardless of age, as she is 102 years old.
