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Manila Bulletin devider devider 102-year-old great-granny becomes 'oldest' skydiver

102-year-old great-granny becomes 'oldest' skydiver

Published Dec 12, 2018 04:01 pm

By Agence France-Presse

A 102-year-old great-grandmother is believed to have become the world's oldest skydiver after plunging 14,000 feet (4,300 meters) through the South Australian sky.

Irene O'Shea completed her first skydive to mark her 100th birthday in 2016. (AFP photo/Manila Bulletin) Irene O'Shea completed her first skydive to mark her 100th birthday in 2016. (AFP photo/Manila Bulletin)
Centenarian adrenaline junkie Irene O'Shea said she "felt normal" after a 220 kilometer per hour (140 mph) dive that sent her cheeks flapping wildly. She completed her first skydive to mark her 100th birthday in 2016, but organizers claimed it was Sunday's successful tandem dive at the age of 102 years and 194 days that earned her a place in the history books. "It was very clear up there, and the weather was good but it was very cold," said O'Shea, according to Australian media. O'Shea took the plunge to raise funds for a motor neuron disease charity, after her daughter died from the illness.
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