A man from the US state of Texas has proved that “age is just a number” after he reclaimed his title as the world’s oldest person to tandem skydive. Born on January 4, 1917, Alfred “Al” Blaschke, first broke the record in 2020 at the age of 103.
About the record
According to the Guinness World Records, Blaschke was 106 years and 327 days old at the time of the jump, which is more than three years older than the previous record holder.
Notably, he first broke the record when he was 103 years old and jumped out of a moving plane at 14,000 feet to celebrate his twin grandsons’ college graduations.
However, in 2022, a Swedish woman named Rut Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson who was aged 103 years and 259 days broke Blaschke’s record. He had vowed to reclaim the title and did just that back in November, last year.
Due to bad weather and scheduling issues, the jump had been postponed four times, but eventually, he was able to do it after diving in the air at an altitude of 9,000 feet alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Notably, Abbott had met Blaschke when he first broke the record in 2020 and had promised to take part in his next attempt.
The dive took place from an altitude of 9,000 feet over Fentress, Texas after the 106-year-old attached himself to a skydiving instructor and jumped out of the plane. The duo safely landed after deploying the parachute at 5,500 feet.
“If you think you can’t, you’re just underestimating yourself,” Blaschke said to those gathered including his children, grandchildren, and the press. He added, “Everyone is more capable than they think. They just need to make the decision to try.”
Why is the record making headlines now?
The record made by Blaschke, who turned 107 in January, is making headlines once again because of a separate record attempt last year.
In October, 104-year-old Dorothy Hoffner from the city of Chicago was on the cusp of making history after she sought to break the record.
Hoffner would have been the world’s oldest skydiver as well as the oldest-ever woman to perform such a feat.
On October 1, Hoffner jumped off a plane from 13,500 feet at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois. However, around a week later as she was waiting for her official certification, Hoffner died in her sleep.
(With inputs from agencies)