"Courage Has No Age": Woman Completes 10,000-Foot Skydive On 80th Birthday

An eighty-year-old woman has become the oldest Indian woman to complete a tandem skydive. Dr Shraddha Chauhan, mother of Retired Brigadier Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, jumped from a height of 10,000 feet on her 80th birthday to make it to the record books.

Despite battling vertigo, cervical spondylitis and spinal disc issues, Dr Chauhan took the plunge at Skyhigh India, at Narnaul Airstrip in Haryana, two hours from Delhi. It is the country's only certified civilian drop zone.

In a video shared by Skyhigh India's official Instagram, Dr Chauhan is seen preparing for her jump with the support of her son, one of India's most decorated Army officers.

"She is my mother. Turning 80 years, and today, I have the good fortune and honour of jumping with her," he says in the clip. "Happy Birthday," he said, as his mother planted a kiss on his cheek.

The 80-year-old said, "The desire I had in my heart, to fly in the sky like an aeroplane, today my son has fulfilled that wish. It's a very proud moment". 

The video shows the brigadier helping his mother stretch and warm up before the flight. Onboard the aircraft, he assists her with the gear, and moments later, the duo free-falls into the blue. A GoPro camera captured the wind whipping against their faces and the breathtaking fall. 

As her feet touched the ground, Dr Chauhan made history. Many came to congratulate her and wish her a happy birthday. 

The caption read, "She is now the oldest Indian woman to do a tandem skydive - and the oldest to do so within India. A mother. A milestone. A moment that soared. Courage knows no age. Love has no altitude."

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