(MENAFN- Live Mint) A 102-year-old woman from Suffolk in England has become the oldest skydiver in Britain. To celebrate her birthday, she did a skydive over Beccles and aimed to support three charities she deeply cares about.
Manette Baillie, once married to a paratrooper, has always embraced excitement and adventure. During World War II, she served in Egypt with the Women's Royal Navy Service. Even now, she remains energetic and engaged, continuing to drive regularly. For her 100th birthday, she drove a Ferrari at 209 kmph.
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She has mentioned before that staying mentally and physically active, as well as socialising, are keys to a long life, though she acknowledges that luck plays a role, too.
Before attempting the jump, Baillie mentioned that it was important to always seek out new experiences. A large group of people from her community gathered at the airfield to see her impressive jump.
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Baillie, who has been a resident of Benhall Green since 1961, later shared with Sky News that when the door opened, she realised all she could do was jump.
"When the door opened I thought, there is nothing more I can do or say. Just jump. Well I suppose I jumped, I remember my legs going out and it's a kind of blur. I shut my eyes. We seemed to travel at a very fast speed," she told Sky News.
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"She's a complete rock, fearless, she does not dwell on complaining or tragedies," the publication quoted close friend Humphrey Hawksley as saying.
Baillie's charity
Baillie has managed to collect over ₹11 lakh (£10,000) towards her charity goal of ₹33 lakh (£30,000) for supporting the East Anglian Air Ambulance, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the Benhall and Sternfield Ex-servicemen's and Village Club, as per The Guardian. According to her, this club is an essential part of her community and requires significant renovations.
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