'I'm 102 - I chose to celebrate my milestone age with a daring record breaking skydive'
A 102-year-old woman from Suffolk has just become the UK's oldest person to skydive out of a plane.
Manette Baillie turns 102 today, and it appears she’s somewhat of an adrenaline junkie. She chose to mark the occasion by jumping out of a plane and has now impressively become the oldest person in Britain to skydive.
When speaking about her experience earlier today she said: "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. Mission accomplished."
The team around Manette were very impressed by her determination and fearlessness and some even got emotional.
"I got quite tearful up there, it's amazing what she's doing," said longtime parachuter cameraman Nick Herridge.
While her great niece Izzy Robinson said: "She's an inspiration. What is she going to do for her 103rd birthday?!"
Many people from the local community in Suffolk, where she has lived for over 60 years, came down to the airfield to cheer her on and show their support.
The 102-year-old thrill-seeker is no stranger to daredevil activities. Manette celebrated her 100th birthday by driving a Ferrari racing car at Silverstone, reaching a speed of 130mph.
The plane flew over East Anglia after taking off from Beccles Airfield and raised money for three very important charities: the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Benhall Village Hall. She had managed to raise £9,000 of her £30,000 target at the time of writing.
Manette has had an interesting life, previously serving in the Woman's Royal Naval Service (WRENS) in Egypt during World War 2.
She told the EAAA: "You must always look for something new. I was once married to a paratrooper but have never done it [a skydive] myself."
The adventurous pensioner has received plenty of support, and donations have come in from parachutists and those studying the best way to live a fulfilling life in old age. She’s even received a personal letter from the Prince of Wales ahead of the challenge.
The daring stunt will no doubt inspire many across the UK, showing it’s possible to live an exciting life at any age.
On her secret to living life to the fullest, Manette said: "Community, friends and being among people is my secret to a fulfilling life."
"Keep busy, be interested in everything, be kind to those around you and let them be kind to you. And don't forget to party."
In a previous statement, The East Anglian Air Ambulance said: "We love hearing about the inspirational stories from EAAA supporters, so we were completely overwhelmed when we heard about Manette's kindness and her exciting plans to celebrate her 102nd birthday."
It added: "From everybody at East Anglian Air Ambulance, a heartfelt thank you and happy birthday, Manette.”
Alfred “Al” Blaschke, from Texas, USA, officially reclaimed his status as the world’s oldest person to tandem skydive earlier this year. The 106-year-old was born on the 4th of January 1917.
