I am constantly impressed by my abuelita's abilities, but I have to admit, this great-great grandma has me really amazed. The 101-year old Utah woman, Mary Hardison, was officially been named the "Oldest Female to Paraglide Tandem" today by Guinness World Records.
After celebrating her birthday by going on a tandem paraglide ride in September, Hardison has overtaken the place of the previous record holder, a 100-year-old woman from Cyprus who gained that spot in 2007. Though she had four generations of her family cheering her on, Hardison flew without fear. In fact, she told Guinness she wasn't at all nervous. Her reasoning? Tons of other people have done it!
"If it's safe for them, then it's safe for me," she said.
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And the woman had the same sense of bravado when explaining why she decided to go in the first place. She was apparently inspired by her 75-year-old son who also paraglides. "I didn't want him to do something that I couldn't do," Hardison said.
Now, Hardison is hoping her record will help inspire others. "My desire is for the elderly to keep on going. Do things as long as you are physically able," she said. "Be positive. Friends don't like a grumpy person."
Wow! I love this woman's style. This is exactly how I want to be at an older age–fun, daring, and stubborn as hell! In fact, if I didn't know better, I would've guessed this woman was Latina with her sassy attitude. And actually, she does remind me a lot of my grandmother–she might not go paragliding, but trust me, my abuelita is a tough lady who can definitely hold her own.
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Her outlook is one that I think people of any age can learn from and adopt: Live life boldly. Be active. Parents, spend time running around with your kids. Run around by yourself too! I myself have been parasailing twice and went skydiving when I was 18, which I have been dying to do again (sorry Mom!). You might not be as extreme, but you should take risks. It's part of what makes life fun! And hey, if a 101-year-old can do it, you really have no excuses.
What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
Images via KSL.com
