Gold Coast great-grandmother skydives to celebrate 94th birthday
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Betty Gregory is living life to the fullest.
The great-grandmother kicked off her 94th birthday celebrations on Wednesday by jumping out of a plane 3,600 metres over the Gold Coast surf.
It is not the first time Ms Gregory has been airborne.
"I did my first jump on my 80th birthday and after that I was hooked," she said.
Since then, she has celebrated four birthdays with tandem skydiving.
At 17, she served in the British Women's Royal Air Force as an aerial photographer, taking photos to make maps.
It was in the pilot's cockpit that she developed a strong desire to parachute out of a plane, but was denied the opportunity at the time.
"They didn't let the women do that kind of thing. I mean, this was 1949, so I forgot about it," she said.
Her dream was eventually fulfilled six decades later after moving to Queensland in 1970 and seeing a skydiver land on Kirra Beach.
"I decided I would do it on my 80th birthday and my husband wasn't too pleased about it," Ms Gregory said.
"But I asked him if he would come and he said, 'No'. So I went on my own and did my first skydive jump and I thoroughly enjoyed it."
Ms Gregory, who's been widowed for 12 years, skydived alongside her son for her birthday last year.
Gold Coast skydive instructor James Throsby has been tandem with Ms Gregory for three of her jumps.
"It's good to see that she's getting out and still doing it. Hopefully we'll see her back next year," Mr Throsby said.
Mr Throsby said although there was no maximum age limit, older skydivers were advised to get the green light from their doctors before taking the leap.
"Basically, that's just to say the doctor's happy and as long as they can lift their legs we're good to take them," he said.
While Ms Gregory was medically cleared by her doctor this year, given her age, she was unsure whether she would pass the test next year.
"I had a check-up with my heart specialist about six months ago and after he looked at the results of the test, he said, 'Well, you're all right, Betty, for another skydive,'" she said.
"So I was pleased about that."
But she hoped to continue skydiving at least until her 97th birthday so she could jump with her great-granddaughter.
"To me, life has to be worth living — you're only here once, aren't you?" she said.
"My way of looking at it is to enjoy every minute of it, which I'm doing."
By Danielle Mahe
The great-grandmother kicked off her 94th birthday celebrations on Wednesday by jumping out of a plane 3,600 metres over the Gold Coast surf.
It is not the first time Ms Gregory has been airborne.
"I did my first jump on my 80th birthday and after that I was hooked," she said.
Since then, she has celebrated four birthdays with tandem skydiving.
Betty Gregory takes to the sky for her 94th birthday. (Supplied: Gold Coast Skydive)
RAF 'didn't let women do that kind of thing'
Skydiving might seem like a big feat, but Ms Gregory is no stranger to the skies.At 17, she served in the British Women's Royal Air Force as an aerial photographer, taking photos to make maps.
It was in the pilot's cockpit that she developed a strong desire to parachute out of a plane, but was denied the opportunity at the time.
"They didn't let the women do that kind of thing. I mean, this was 1949, so I forgot about it," she said.
Her dream was eventually fulfilled six decades later after moving to Queensland in 1970 and seeing a skydiver land on Kirra Beach.
"I decided I would do it on my 80th birthday and my husband wasn't too pleased about it," Ms Gregory said.
"But I asked him if he would come and he said, 'No'. So I went on my own and did my first skydive jump and I thoroughly enjoyed it."
Ms Gregory, who's been widowed for 12 years, skydived alongside her son for her birthday last year.
It's the fifth time Betty Gregory has jumped from 3,600 metres above the Gold Coast. (Supplied: Gold Coast Skydive)
'All right for another skydive'
With a smile on her face during the descent, she landed safely on Kirra Beach.Gold Coast skydive instructor James Throsby has been tandem with Ms Gregory for three of her jumps.
"It's good to see that she's getting out and still doing it. Hopefully we'll see her back next year," Mr Throsby said.
"Basically, that's just to say the doctor's happy and as long as they can lift their legs we're good to take them," he said.
While Ms Gregory was medically cleared by her doctor this year, given her age, she was unsure whether she would pass the test next year.
"I had a check-up with my heart specialist about six months ago and after he looked at the results of the test, he said, 'Well, you're all right, Betty, for another skydive,'" she said.
Betty Gregory and her skydiving instructor James Throsby after another successful landing. (ABC Gold Coast: Danielle Mahe)
"So I was pleased about that."
But she hoped to continue skydiving at least until her 97th birthday so she could jump with her great-granddaughter.
"To me, life has to be worth living — you're only here once, aren't you?" she said.
"My way of looking at it is to enjoy every minute of it, which I'm doing."
By Danielle Mahe
