The wind in her hair, a Vancouver Island grandma made the ultimate leap of faith when skydiving over Campbell River to mark nine decades around the sun.
Earlier this month, staff at Campbell River Skydive Centre took to Facebook saying they had the honour of celebrating the birthday girl, Lucy, who had just turned 90.
“I was working that day,” said Bob Verret, co-owner of Campbell River Skydive Centre. “She was excited. She said she was celebrating her 90th birthday.”
So on a sunny day, Lucy and her instructor were cleared for takeoff. Then 10,000 feet up, among the clouds, they jumped to take in the views at speeds up to 200 km/h.
Lucy’s granddaughter, Chloe, also joined in on the fun, leaping in tandem with her grandma “while the rest of the family waited patiently for (them) to land!” the skydiving centre wrote in an Aug. 8 Facebook post.
To jump out of one of the centre’s planes, people must be 19 years of age or older, according to Verret. They must also weigh less than 220 lbs., be able to lift their legs on landing and be free of anxiety and heart conditions.
Lucy wasn’t nervous at all.
“She was as calm as a cucumber,” exclaimed Verret. “She had quite an entourage with her. The family had as much, if not more fun watching her.”
Some skydive to cross it off their bucket list, while others do it to celebrate a big milestone — and, as Verret puts it, 90 sure is something to commemorate. It was a birthday Lucy and her family will cherish forever.
“It was a great memory for her,” he added.
Ethan Morneau
