A 71-year-old woman has become the oldest woman from Kerala’s Idukki district to complete a skydive from 13,000 feet- an experience she had dreamt about for years, reported The Telegraph. Leela Jose, a resident of Konnathady, proved that age is no barrier to travel and adventure.
Leela’s dream of skydiving took flight as she watched aeroplanes soaring high above her hometown. She casually told her neighbourhood friends, “How much fun it would be to do skydiving!”
But her idea was met with laughter and disbelief. Leela, however, kept her dream alive.
She finally got the chance to fulfil her dream last month during a visit to Dubai, where her son P. Anish works as a civil engineer in Karama. When she shared her wish to skydive, Anish at first thought
she was joking.
“He thought I had gone senile,” Leela told The Telegraph. But once he realised she was serious, he booked a tandem jump with a Dubai skydiving team, who were themselves surprised to see a 71-year-old woman arrive for the dive.
A tandem jump is a beginner-friendly way to skydive or paraglide, where the participant is securely harnessed to a highly trained and certified instructor, both sharing one parachute system.
Anish spent nearly Rs 2 lakh to cover the flight, instructor, and videography costs. Leela described the freefall as an unforgettable blend of excitement, fear, and sheer joy. “At one point, I felt weightless and let go of all thoughts,” she said. When the parachute opened at 6,000 feet, she knew she would land safely.
After coming back home in Idukki, Leela shared photos and videos of her adventure with her friends. “They were aghast at first, but then they hugged me and praised my determination,” she said.
Asked about her next goal, Leela said. “I wish to go to space, if possible. If age is not a hindrance, I want to appeal to ISRO to consider my wish.” She credited her late father, Maanikutty, an Indian Army officer, for instilling in her the courage to attempt the impossible.
Leela’s feat follows closely on the heels of another remarkable milestone by a senior Indian woman skydiver. In July, Dr Shraddha Chauhan, mother of retired Brigadier Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, became the oldest Indian woman to complete a tandem skydive, leaping from 10,000 feet on her 80th birthday at Skyhigh India’s certified drop zone in Narnaul, Haryana.
Expressing her delight, the 80-year-old said her long-cherished dream of flying like an aeroplane had been fulfilled by her son, calling it a moment of immense pride.
The experiences of Leela Jose and Dr Shraddha Chauhan show that age is no barrier to thrill-seeking pursuits like skydiving, inspiring travellers of all generations.
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