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102-year-old woman jumps out of plane for Charity, sets the oldest Skydiver world record

102-year Old Australian Woman, Irene O’Shea Has Now Been Named As The Oldest Skydiver In The World.

News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Chanshimla Varah | Updated on: 12 Dec 2018, 04:35:02 PM
102-year-old from Australia woman sets record as the World's oldest skydiver (Photo: Twitter)

New Delhi:

102-year-old Irene O’Shea is setting the record straight for what age is just a number really means. According to People, the Australian woman decided to celebrate her 102nd birthday by giving her adrenaline rush a boost by skydiving. Reports have it that the now 102-year-old 'young' woman has been following the yearly tradition of skydiving since she was 100 and has been confirmed as the oldest skydiver in the world by SA Skydiving.

For her 102 birthday, the centenarian dedicated her fearless jump to charity to raise awareness of Motor Neuron Disease (MND), a disease which her own daughter had also succumbed to. According to reports, O’Shea has, since her daughter’s passing, partnered with the MND Association of South Australia to raise awareness and funds for the cause.

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Medical professionals state that the disease severely affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing them to weaken, stiffen and waste. They, however, still hasn’t been able to determine the cause of MND. Hence, to promote more awareness, Irene decided to plunge over 14,000 feet dive on Sunday with Jed Smith, the same instructor she previously jumped with.

“Irene and Jed completed a smooth, beautiful freefall, falling at 220kph [136.7 mph] through wispy clouds, before a smooth parachute opening,” SA Skydiving rep Matt Teager told PEOPLE, noting that O’Shea “was an absolute joy to have on the dropzone.”

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 “I lost my daughter to that terrible disease 10 years ago and I miss her,” O’Shea told the Herald Sun.  

Check out the video of Irene's daredevil jump here: 

Since her first daredevil jump, O’Shea has raised close to $12,000 for MND, the news outlet reported. And according to GoFundMe campaign, the Australian daredevil has raised over $660 in just seven days and soon hopes to reach a $10,000 goal.

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First Published : 12 Dec 2018, 04:23:12 PM

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