A 102-year-old military veteran has become Britain’s oldest skydiver after jumping out of a plane over Beccles, Suffolk, to mark her birthday and raise funds for charity.
Manette Baillie, a resident of Benhall Green in Suffolk, served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service during World War II. She decided to take on the challenge of skydiving to support three charities close to her heart: East Anglian Air Ambulance, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and the Benhall and Sternfield Ex-servicemen’s and Village Club.
She has already raised over £10,000 of her £30,000 target, reported The Guardian.
Before the jump, Baillie said, "You must always look for something new. I was once married to a paratrooper but have never done [a skydive] myself."
Supported by a large crowd, including her local community, Baillie made the jump and broke the record previously held by Verdun Hayes, who jumped at the age of 101 in 2017. After landing, she told Sky News, "When the door opened I thought, there is nothing more I can do or say. Just jump."
Baillie was inspired to skydive after learning about an 85-year-old man who had done a parachute jump and wanted to do another immediately. She said, "If an 85-year-old man can do it, so can I."
Prince William, who had previously volunteered with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, sent Baillie a letter of support before her jump. In his message, he noted her previous achievement of racing a Ferrari at 130mph at Silverstone for her 100th birthday.
Baillie told the Telegraph that the letter came as a “complete surprise”.
Baillie, who credits her long and fulfilling life to staying active and involved in her community, said, “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.”
She told BBC Radio 4: “I really don’t do fear, it’s no good.”
Her jump was celebrated by the East Anglian Air Ambulance, who presented her with flowers upon landing. Baillie has a personal connection to the charity, as an air ambulance saved her son’s life in 1969.
