80-Year-Old Woman Goes Skydiving for the First Time — and Sums Up the Experience with One Word
Mar. 15, 2025An 80-year-old woman recently fulfilled her dream of skydiving!
Lorraine Gerson of Olney, Ma., who will turn 81 in a few months, recently participated in “Wish of a Lifetime” from AARP, according to local ABC affiliateWBMA.
Before her thrilling skydive, Gerson told local ABC affiliateWJLAthat 24 years ago she went on a hot air balloon ride and said that the experience prompted her to want to try skydiving – but it wasn’t until now that it actually happened.
“We had the funeral home lined up,” Gerson said with a laugh. “There’s been a lot of jokes.”
However, as she put it, “I’ve always wanted to do it.”
“We were delighted to see Lorraine’s smiling face as she descended from the skies with a parachute on her back to her family and friends." Tom Wagenlander, Vice President and Executive Director, Wish of a Lifetime tells PEOPLE in a statement. “Wish of a Lifetime from AARP is dedicated to bringing to life wishes like Lorraine’s to show America what healthy aging looks like when you have joy and hope at the forefront. We hope that Lorraine’s story will create a ripple effect of happiness to those who hear about it and create similar experiences for older adults in their lives.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
And even though skydiving isn’t for everyone, she noted that when you’re in the air, “you’re at peace.”
As for whether she’d recommend the experience to others, she replied, only if “they like airplanes.”
source: people.com
Other Posts
