Woman Becomes The Oldest Person To Skydive At The Age Of 104

Oct 11, 2023

Skydiving is one of those things that people often add to their bucket list, but not everyone thinks that it’s possible to do at an old age. This is what happened to a woman who defied all odds and even broke a record for being the oldest person to skydive.

According to a report published by Today in October 2022, a woman named Dorothy Hoffner, who lived in an apartment in Chicago, already did the unthinkable at the age of 104 because despite her being an elderly person, she still managed to skydive twice in her life.

Earlier that month, Hoffner, who was never married and never had any children in her life, took her second dive with Skydive Chicago with a certified U.S. Parachute Association tandem instructor named Derek Baxter.

Even though this type of activity is scary for some people, Hoffner told the outlet that she wasn’t nervous jumping even though she was 13,000 feet up in the air.

“When we just about got off the plane, a big gust of wind came and it turned us around. That was the fun part,” she said.

It appears she broke the record previously held by Rut Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson from Sweden, who skydived at the age of 103 years and 259 days.

As of October 2023, FOX 32 Chicago reported that Skydive Chicago was working with the Guinness World Records to certify Hoffner’s skydiving experience.

She told the outlet that her interest in skydiving began when she turned 100, after a friend of hers, Joe Conant, brought up the topic in 2019, to which she gladly agreed.

Regarding her personal life, Hoffner used to work for Illinois Bell Telephone for more than four decades. She decided to retire when she was in her 60s.

Her genes may have contributed to her longevity, as her mother lived to be 92 years old, and her father lived into his 80s.

Hoffner was an adventurous woman since her early days, as she used to travel around the world. In fact, she revealed that she had visited all states in the United States except for Alaska.

Despite living to 104, she faced health issues, including surgery to remove cancerous breast tissue and macular degeneration, which hindered her ability to drive and read.

Unfortunately, Dorothy Hoffner passed away just days after her second skydiving experience in October 2023.

Her close friend Joe Conant, who also used to work at the Brookdale Senior Living facility where Hoffner lived, told The Chicago Tribune, that the woman died peacefully in her sleep.

He further told the outlet that Hoffner initially didn’t want the attention she got from the media, and she didn’t skydive just to break a record.

“She wasn’t doing it because of the world record, she was doing it because she wanted to go skydiving,” he said. 

Hoffner was supposed to celebrate her 105th birthday in December 2023, and she told Today that she wanted to experience a hot air balloon ride.

Despite her passing, it appears she was content with her life, as she previously stated in an interview: “I didn’t expect to be this old… I have had a very wonderful life,” she said.

What do you think of the old woman who bravely skydived despite her age? Would you do it when you turn 100 years old? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.