71-Year-Old Kerala Woman Goes Viral For Skydiving From 13,000 Ft In Dubai

Kerala's Idukki district is celebrating a remarkable feat after a 71-year-old woman proved that age is no barrier to travel and for adventure. Leela Jose, a resident of Konnathady, has become the oldest woman from the state to complete a skydive from 13,000 feet- an experience she had dreamt about for years, reported The Telegraph. Leela's skydiving dream began with airplanes flying high above her hometown. She casually told her neighbourhood friends, "How much fun it would be to do skydiving!" But her idea was met with laughter and disbelief. Leela, however, kept her dream alive.

The opportunity to realise it finally came last month during a trip to Dubai to visit her son, P. Anish, a civil engineer in Karama. When she revealed her wish to skydive, Anish initially dismissed it as a joke. "He thought I had gone senile," Leela told The Telegraph. But once he realised she was serious, he booked a tandem jump with a Dubai skydiving team, who were themselves surprised to see a 71-year-old woman arrive for the dive. For the unversed, a tandem jump is an introductory method of skydiving or paragliding where a student is strapped to a highly experienced and certified instructor, sharing a single parachute system.

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Anish spent nearly Rs 2 lakh to cover the flight, guide, and videography. Leela described the freefall as a mix of exhilaration, fear, and pure joy. "At one point, I felt weightless and let go of all thoughts," she said. When the parachute opened at 6,000 feet, she knew she would land safely.

Back home in Idukki, Leela shared photos and videos of her adventure with her friends. "They were aghast at first, but then they hugged me and praised my determination," she said.

Asked about her next goal, Leela said. "I wish to go to space, if possible. If age is not a hindrance, I want to appeal to ISRO to consider my wish." She credited her late father, Maanikutty, an Indian Army officer, for instilling in her the courage to attempt the impossible.

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Leela's achievement comes just months after another senior Indian woman set a record in skydiving. In July, Dr Shraddha Chauhan - mother of retired Brigadier Saurabh Singh Shekhawat - became the oldest Indian woman to complete a tandem skydive, jumping from 10,000 feet on her 80th birthday at Skyhigh India's certified drop zone in Narnaul, Haryana. 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". 

Leela Jose and Dr Shraddha Chauhan's stories are a reminder that thrill-seeking adventures like skydiving are no longer limited by age, inspiring travellers across generations.