This 102-year-old daredevil takes birthdays to a new level.
Manette Baillie from Suffolk, England, celebrated another fulfilling year of her life by jumping out of a plane – and raising over $13,000 (£10,000) for her favourite charities across the UK.
Baillie, a former World War II cadet in the Women’s Royal Naval Service, is used to taking risks: on her 100th birthday, she raced a Ferrari on the official British Grand Prix circuit, reaching 210 km/h.
“You always have to look for something new,” she told reporters on Sunday as they gathered for her high-flying flight. “I was once married to a paratrooper, but I’ve never done a skydive myself.”
When a friend told her that her 85-year-old father had recently made his first jump, she decided that skydiving would be her next big step. “If an 85-year-old man can do it, I can do it,” Baillie said.
Baillie told BBC Radio Suffolk she was grateful to be in such good shape for her age. “I’ve been so lucky to be fit and healthy that I have to do something with it, that’s really the reason,” she said. “I can’t just waste it, other people are crippled by arthritis and I’m not.”
A large crowd of friends, family and spectators gathered at an airfield in Benhall Green, which Baillie has called home for over three decades, to watch the grandmother soar through the blue skies.
“When the door opened I thought there’s nothing more I can do or say. Just jump,” she told Sky News after the stunt. “Well, I guess I jumped,” she continued. “I remember my legs giving way and it’s kind of a blur. I closed my eyes. It seemed like we were travelling at very high speed.”
Aside from her altruistic feat, Baillie also set the British record as the oldest skydiver in history – a title previously held by Devon resident Verdun Hayes in May 2017 at 101 years and 38 days, according to the Guardian.
Baillie’s jump was met with congratulations from Prince William, who wrote: “Catherine and I have heard that you will be celebrating your 102nd birthday with a skydive next week! Knowing that you celebrated your 100th birthday by racing a Ferrari at Silverstone, this is no surprise.”
The money Baillie raises supports charities in her community, particularly the East Anglian Air Ambulance, whose first responders saved her son’s life after a car accident in 1969.
The Duke of Cambridge added in his letter: “From my time with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, I know how many lives are saved thanks to the generosity of people like you.”
Baillie said she could not have lived as long as she did without the support of her loved ones – but that was not all that was needed, she told BBC Radio.
“Stay busy, be interested in everything, be nice to the people around you and let them be nice to you,” she advised. “And don’t forget to party.”
