Skydiving 104-Year-Old Woman Reveals Secret To Long and Happy Life

A 104-year-old woman who is preparing to go on her second skydive since becoming a centenarian has revealed the secret to her longevity.

Dorothy Hoffner, who has lived in Chicago her entire life, is hoping to make history next week when she jumps from a plane some 10,000 feet off the ground.

Though she'll be attached to a United States Parachute Association-certified tandem instructor, in doing so, she will set a new Guinness World Record as the oldest skydiver ever.

The current world record stands at 103 years and 259 days and was set back on May 29, 2022 in Sweden. This time around the Skydive Chicago drop zone in Ottawa, Illinois, will serve as the setting for what's shaping up to be a momentous day for the centenarian.

The U.S. is home to a rising number of centenarians. According to data published by the Boston University Medical Campus, as of 2021, there were 89,739 Americans aged 100 and over.

This represents a near doubling of the number recorded 20 years earlier and highlights how people are living longer. Hoffner is a prime example and someone who is putting many people even a third of an age to shame with her later exploits.

Just over four years ago, she was talking to a family friend when the topic turned to skydiving. Hoffner told Newsweek her immediate response was: "I'd love to do that. Why don't we do that?"

"It just sounded interesting," she explains. The friend went off to make the necessary arrangements. Next thing Hoffner knew, she was celebrating her 100th birthday by jumping out of a plane.

The idea of skydiving might seem terrifying to some, but Hoffner saw it as a way to look at the state and area she has known and loved all her life from an entirely different perspective.

"There' s nothing frightening about it because with the parachute above you it's very smooth," Hoffner said. "It was amazing to see all the beautiful scenery. This wonderful land beneath you. The Fox River was only a couple of inches wide."

Now she's preparing to do it all over again, after several years of being unable to do much at all. "I enjoyed it so much and after everything with COVID I just wanted to go out and do something again," she explained. She's also determined to do things a little differently this time.

"Last time they pushed us out when we reached the altitude," she explained. "This time I want to jump."

Hoffner's exploits are the talk of the town among her fellow residents at Brookdale Assisted Living in Lakeview, but she prefers to downplay it—particularly as she has yet to break the record.

"I try not to talk about it because I have got to do it before I talk about it," she said.

She's similarly modest when it comes to answering the question every centenarian likely faces: what is the secret to your long life?

"I'm ashamed to admit, it's probably because I am lazy," she said. "I don't do anything strenuous or too energetic. It's also down to God. My heavenly father has taken good care of me."

Asked to elaborate further, she explains: "I have had a stress-free life. There's never been much to feel stressed about. I've always been careful with things like money. I've saved my money and I'm glad I did because it's been useful to have it now."

That's not to say she doesn't have the odd vice though. "I like beer, I like wine and I like mixed drinks," Hoffner said. "All in moderation of course."

Here's hoping she's toasting to her own success come September 7, when she takes to the skies.