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Dorothy Hoffner, 104, has cemented her place in record books by becoming the oldest person to skydive, and she has one message: “Age is only a number!”
According to the Chicago Tribune, Hoffner accomplished the feat in Ottawa, Illinois, on Sunday (Oct. 1). The jump took place at Skydive Chicago, and she was joined by Derek Baxter during her descent.
Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Sheridan kept people posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, by sharing footage of Hoffner’s feat. Check out a slow-mo video of the 104-year-old’s free fall down below.
Within an on-site interview after making her jump, Dorothy called the experience “wonderful.”
“The whole thing was delightful. Wonderful.”
As for what’s next, Hoffman suggested wanting to enjoy a hot air balloon ride. She also told onlookers, “Age is only a number.”
While on the subject of Dorothy Hoffner’s historic jump, we should note that the centenarian previously made her intentions loud and clear.
According to FOX 32 Chicago, Hoffner first skydived after marking her milestone 100th birthday. Eventually, she set her sights on establishing a whole record.
Before Hoffner, Euronews reports that the previous record-holder was a Swedish woman named Rut Larsson who skydived at the age of 103 last year. After Larsson’s jump, she proclaimed, “It was wonderful to do this, I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”
While Dorothy had reportedly hoped to accomplish the feat back on Sept. 7, it was pushed back to the very start of October, though her goal ultimately became a reality.
Congratulations to Dorothy Hoffner!
