UPDATED 10/11, 7:45 a.m. ET: Dorothy Hoffner, who earlier this month inspired people around the world with her record-smashing skydive, has sadly passed away at the age of 104.
“We are deeply saddened by Dorothy’s passing, and feel honored to have been part of making her world record skydive a reality,” a Skydive Chicago rep said in a statement shared by TMZ on Tuesday. “Skydiving is an activity that many of us safely tuck away in our bucket lists. But Dorothy reminds us that it’s never too late to take the thrill of a lifetime.”
Per the report, the death is not believed to be related to the widely publicized jump but was instead “a coincidence.” Hoffner, whose record is still awaiting formal confirmation from the Guinness World Records organization, reportedly died “in her sleep.”
RIP.
See original story below.
Age ain't nothing but a number for Dororthy Hoffner, a 104-year-old woman who aims to become the oldest certified skydiver.
Hoffner recently completed a tandem skydive in Ottawa just southwest of Chicago on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 1), reports WLS-TV. She left her walker behind just before boarding the plane and got assistance making it up the steps to join the others who would be making the dive with her.
"It was wonderful," said Hoffner to ABC 7 Chicago. "I had to keep myself awake so I could see the scenery." After touching ground, she apparently told a cheering crowd "Age is just a number."
Skydive Chicago, the center that helped Hoffner make her latest leap in the sky, is working to get Guiness World Records to certify the jump. The current record for oldest skydiver was set last May by 103-year-old Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson from Sweden, according to The Associated Press.
Hoffner isn't new to this either, she first skydived at 100 years old although back then she "had to be pushed" out of the plane. Meanwhile on Sunday, she reportedly lead the jump from 13,500 feet and proved that it's never too late to sky dive or do something you love.
