Record-breaking 102-year-old skydiver shares her surprising secret to a long life
A slice of cake and a beer or two seems like the ideal birthday celebration for many, but not for 102-year-old Manette Baillie.
The veteran daredevil, from Suffolk, England, celebrated her 102nd birthday recently in remarkable fashion.
While most people at that grand old age would be slowing down, Manette is turning things up a notch.
Celebrating another year of life, Manette jumped out of a plane over the village of Benhall Green, which she has called home for the best part of three decades.
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To be honest, the former World War II cadet is no stranger to embarking on mad stunts, as she raced a Ferrari around the British Grand Prix track Silverstone to mark her 100th birthday.
Reaching speeds of 130 miles per hour, there isn't nothing Manette's not afraid to do.
With her latest stunt, a large crowd of Manette's nearest and dearest flocked to an airfield in Benhall Green to watch the grandmother skydive out of a plane.
In doing so, Manette has raised $13,000 for some of her favorite UK charities.
“You must always look for something new,” she told reporters on Sunday (25 August).
"I was once married to a paratrooper but have never done [a sky-dive] myself."
Of course, Manette wants to top her previous stunt every birthday and when she heard a friend's father who is 85 complete a skydive, she was sold.
"If an 85-year-old man can do it, so can I," Manette said.
Many will wonder how the Brit is healthy enough to complete such a daredevil stunt at 100+.
Well, speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, Manette shared her secret.
"I’ve been so lucky to be fit and well that I’ve got to do something with it, that’s really the back of it," she said.
"I can’t just waste it, other people are crippled with arthritis and I’m not."
She added: "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."
Speaking further about the skydive to Sky News, Manette 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 seem to travel at a very fast speed."
Ahead of completing the skydive, Manette received well wishes from Prince William.
The Prince of Wales wrote: "Catherine and I hear you will be marking your 102nd birthday next week with a parachute jump! Knowing you celebrated your 100th birthday by racing a Ferrari around Silverstone, we are not surprised."
Callum Jones