‘Just keep going’: Woman, 102, becomes Britain’s oldest skydiver

A 102-year-old woman became Britain’s oldest skydiver after she jumped off a plane on Aug 25 to celebrate her birthday.

Ms Manette Baillie from the village of Benhall Green in Suffolk undertook the feat to raise money for three charities.

The skydiving effort at the nearby Beccles Airfield saw Ms Baillie jumping from a height of more than 2,100m. A man was strapped into the harness with her.

So far, she has raised some £14,000 (S$24,000), with a target of £30,000, for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, East Anglian Air Ambulance and the Benhall and Sternfield Ex-Servicemen and Village Club.

The Guardian reported that Ms Baillie had broken the record for Britain’s oldest parachutist, which was set in May 2017 by Mr Verdun Hayes, from Devon, when he jumped at the age of 101 and 38 days.

Upon landing, Ms Baillie was greeted with cheers from her family, friends and supporters and was presented with a bouquet of flowers.

Ms Baillie recounted her thoughts moments before she jumped to SkyNews, following the successful completion of her monumental feat.

“When the door opened, I thought, ‘There is nothing more I can do or say – just jump’.

“I remember my legs going out, and it’s a kind of blur. We seemed to travel at a very fast speed,” she said.

Ms Baillie, who had served in the Women’s Royal Navy Service in Egypt during World War II and had been married to a paratrooper, told BBC Radio 4 after her jump that she was “breathless”.

“It was a bit scary. I must admit I shut my eyes very firmly,” she said.

“I just want other people who are getting towards 80 and 90 not to give up anything. Just keep going.”

The centenarian said she opted to skydive after hearing about a friend’s 85-year-old father who had done a parachute jump.

The man had wanted to do another one as soon as he landed, she said, adding: “If an 85-year-old man can do it, so can I.”

Known for her adventurous spirit, Ms Baillie had taken on other challenges before, including driving a Ferrari sports car at 210kmh at Silverstone racecourse to mark her 100th birthday.

She previously told BBC Radio Suffolk she had “no idea” where her thrill-seeking attitude had come from.

“I’ve been so lucky to be fit and well that I’ve got to do something with it; that’s really the back of it,” she said. “I can’t just waste it – other people are crippled with arthritis and I’m not.”

Her grandniece, Ms Izzy Robinson, paid tribute to Ms Baillie’s feat, describing her as “an inspiration”.

“What is she going to do for her 103rd birthday?” she mused.

For now, Ms Baillie seemed content to pursue more down-to-earth activities.

“I shall be taking up knitting,” she told the BBC.