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Watch 101-Year-Old D-Day Survivor Go Skydiving

2017-05-17

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Skydiving - 101

When growing up, we are often encouraged to face our fears. For some of us – no matter how old we get – the idea of jumping out of an airplane with a parachute strapped to your back is a fear we never want to face.

For British D-Day veteran Bryson William Verdun Hayes, skydiving has become a newfound past time for him. Recently, at the age of 101 years and 38 days, Hayes became the oldest person in the world to ever participate in a successful tandem skydive.

In 2016 – at the age of 100 – Hayes became the British record holder for oldest skydiver.

Joining Hayes on his 2017 jump was 10 family members. In all, three generations of Hayes leaped 15,000 feet out of an airplane and let the wind hit their faces.

“Beautiful,” said Hayes after completing his leap. “Really, I’d do it again tomorrow.”

“I don’t know how he’s done it,” said Hayes’ great-grandson Stanley. “It’s crazy.”

When asked by a family member if he could leap again in 2018, Hayes modestly responded: “If all’s well, why not?”

You can watch footage of Hayes’ jump below!

-Adam Grant

Speaking of remarkable aging, join us on Monday, June 5 at 9pm ET/6pm PT for the fascinating documentary, “Forever Young.”

Synopsis: “Forever Young” challenges us to reconsider our conventional notion of life, aging, and death. During the past century, global human life expectancy has doubled and it continues to increase every year. People are living longer lives due to a combination of better nutrition, healthier lifestyles, and spectacular advances in medical science and health care.

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