Daredevil 102-year-old girl turns into Britain’s oldest skydiver
A daredevil war veteran has become Britain’s oldest skydiver after she jumped out of the plane to mark her 102nd birthday.
Manette Baillie, from Suffolk,jumped out of a plane at 7,000 ft above Beccles Airfield in East Anglia to mark her birthday and raise money for charities.
When celebrating a milestone birthday many people usually enjoy it with a party and slices of birthday cake but few decide to mark the occasion by trying skydiving for the first time and even fewer do so on their 102nd birthday.
Yet, this is what Ms Baillie chose to do today, August 25, and the centenarian has revealed she she’s keen to do it again.
Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Baillie explained what inspired her to take the plunge.
Manette Baillie (pictured), from Suffolk,jumped out of a plane at 7,000 ft above Beccles Airfield in East Anglia to mark her birthday and raise money for charities
Ms Baillie said ‘I wasn’t nervous when it came to jump. I’m not a nervous person. But when you are waiting for the door to open and that blast of cold air hits you, with your legs dangling outside I did think “have I gone too far?”’
The 102-year-old said: ‘My father went skydiving when he was 83-years-old and loved it and said he wanted to do it again. So I thought if he can do it at 83 why can’t I do it at 102’
She said: ‘The idea of going skydiving came about after I want racing around silverstone for my 100th birthday and then I didn’t do anything for my 101st but when my 102nd came around people were teasing me saying “you must be doing something”.
‘And my father went skydiving when he was 83-years-old and loved it and said he wanted to do it again. So I thought if he can do it at 83 why can’t I do it at 102.’
Although she did admit it was ‘a bit scary’ Ms Baillie was remarkably unfazed by the daredevil stunt.
The 102-year-old said: ‘I wasn’t nervous when it came to jump. I’m not a nervous person. But when you are waiting for the door to open and that blast of cold air hits you, with your legs dangling outside I did think “have I gone too far?”
‘And you drop at such a fast rate and you’re spinning around. I had to be careful when I was landing to make sure I didn’t land on my feet. But I would do it again.’
The armed services are also important to Mrs Baillie as her first husband, Derek Bowden, was a paratrooper who survived being dropped into Arnhem on September 1944 and died in his 90s.
The marriage was short-lived and the former WREN (Women’s Royal Naval Service member), who joined up in 1941, was posted to South Africa before moving to Egypt, where she met her second husband, Navy man Adam ‘Reid’ Baillie, who died 30 years ago.
The widow, who was raising money for several charities, added: ‘I haven’t got long to live and I can’t do much more fundraising, so I wanted to make it a rip-roaring success.’
Ms Baillie safely back on solid ground. She said: ‘And you drop at such a fast rate and you’re spinning around. I had to be careful when I was landing to make sure I didn’t land on my feet. But I would do it again’
Ms Bailee also did exercises at home to prepare for the jump which including walking around her garden
So far Ms Baillie has raised £10,000 for her three chosen charities – East Anglian Air Ambulance, Motor Neurone Disease Association and Benhall Village Hall. Her goal is to reach £30,000.
Each charity is close to Ms Baillie heart. Her only son Tony had his life saved by an airlift following a diving accident which left him a paraplegic when he was 23. He lived until he was 70.
Also benefiting are the Motor Neurone Disease Association after the ‘cruel disease attacked someone very close to me’ and her local club, Benhall and Sternfield ex-Servicemen and Village Club which she calls ‘the heart of the community.’
She has received well wishes from supporters including from the Prince of Wales who is a former pilot for East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Ms Bailee also did exercises at home to prepare for the jump and she needed to have it signed off by a doctor that she could do the jump as she needed to be strong enough to lift her legs at the end to let her fellow parachutist cushion the landing.
She said: ‘ I had to make sure I could lift my legs and the danger was to hit the ground with my feet.
‘I do exercise and I’m always walking around the garden. I’m pretty rocky on my legs and need a stick but I’ve got no complaints.’
Having become something of a thrillseeker in her golden years, Ma Bailee – who still regularly drives – marked her 100th birthday by driving a Ferrari racing car at 130 mph at Silverstone race course.
Her secret to living a long and fulfilling life is ‘community, friends and being among people.’
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.’
With her 102nd birthday now behind her, Ms Baillie has not decided what to do for her 103rd birthday.
Having become something of a thrillseeker in her golden years, Ma Bailee – who still regularly drives – marked her 100th birthday by driving a Ferrari racing car at 130 mph at Silverstone race course
‘Not talking about my next birthday yet it’s too soon. I need to see if I live through another winter! I don’t want to push my luck!’ she said.
In a statement, the East Anglian Air Ambulance said: ‘We love hearing about the inspirational stories from EAAA supporters, so we were completely overwhelmed when we heard about Manette’s kindness and her exciting plans to celebrate her 102nd birthday.’
To donate to Ms Baillie Just Giving page click here.
Britain’s previous oldest parachutist was Verdun Hayes, who jumped in 2017 aged 101 and 38 days.
