quade 4 #1 August 14, 2003 LINK Quote Dilys, 71, prepares for her 1,000th skydive Aug 14 2003 Rhodri Evans, The Western Mail AT THE age of 71 many of us would expect to be putting our feet up and enjoying the quiet life. But not Cardiff pensioner Dilys Price. On Saturday she will be throwing herself out of an aeroplane for the 1,000th time. Dilys, from Heath, Cardiff, is doing her 1,000th skydive at Langar in Nottinghamshire to raise money for the Touch Trust. It is a charity Ms Price, a former dance tutor at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff, set up herself. It teaches dance and movement to profoundly disabled people, and which will soon be housed in the new Wales Millennium Centre. Ms Price may have racked up an impressive 999 parachute jumps but she was something of a late starter. "I didn't start until I was 54," she said. "I started because the students were trying to raise money for charity - I said what you need to do is a skydive." As a result she found herself jumping for the first time. "In the end, when I did it, it blew my mind and people said I was two feet off the ground when I came down," she said. "I had seen a man of 82 on video doing a tandem jump looking like a sack of spuds and I thought if he could do it why couldn't I? "As I went out I remember thinking 'what a mistake!' and the next moment thinking 'how wonderful - I'm flying!'. "I fell in love with it." But not everyone was convinced of the wisdom of her aerial exploits. "There was no-one of 54 starting," she said. "Some of the experts thought I could kill myself. "When I started skydiving I had a certificate from the Guinness Book of Records because I was one of the oldest. "I think I am currently the oldest woman in the world skydiving - although I never dreamed I would continue this long." Not only is she one of the oldest skydivers in the world, she is also rather proficient. "I got a silver medal in the British national championships three years ago for freestyle," she said. "Maybe I will enter again because my skydiving is getting even better." She said her hobby had brought her more than just excitement. "For me it really has been a spiritual journey," she said. " It has taught me to make decisions and step beyond what is comfortable. "When I started I was really in a mid-life crisis. I found it very difficult to make any decisions at all. If I made a decision I would back-track on it. With skydiving once you have put your foot out you can't go back." Her skydiving exploits has taken her all over the world. "I have got to skydive over Arizona and Spain," she said. "I have skydived in Jordan over the Wadi Rum Desert. We were the first civilians ever to do that - it was Lawrence of Arabia country. It was the most strange and eerie place - children walked across the desert to meet us and we travelled back on camels." On Saturday she is to jump in a large group of friends, who will form a star in mid-air, with the pensioner in the middle, to mark her milestone. But while she plans to continue with her skydiving, she admits that she has had to make one small concession to age when it comes to landing. "When you're younger you run with the parachute - that's the slick way to do it but rather to be safe than sorry I collapse in a genteel heap. "My knees are not as strong as they were and my muscles are not as strong , so I don't run like the youngsters do." quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blahr 0 #2 August 14, 2003 I collapsed in a genteel heap on more than one occasion and my legs are VERY strong. More power to her Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rendezvous 0 #3 August 14, 2003 Very impressive. Infact this is actually inspiring. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
canopywhore 0 #4 August 14, 2003 I am proud to say I've jumped with Dilys a couple of times. One time she said to me "I don't know what I'm going to do". I asked her what was wrong what did she need. She told me " well I can't jump forever and I don't know what I will replace it with"Dilys had a great attitude and her landings are kind of funny too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gus 1 #5 August 15, 2003 Dilys is one cool lady. GusOutpatientsOnline.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymick 0 #6 August 15, 2003 You should see local legend Jim Brieley... hes 78 and still actively jumping, he has over 2000 jumps(i think) and made his first one in WW2. A few months back for his 78 B'day he planned to do 7 jumps then 8 the next day..i think he ended up doing 17 for the w/e! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflyfrog 0 #7 August 15, 2003 Good on ya, Dilys! I jumped with her in Arizona. What a sweet lady. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richardd 0 #8 August 18, 2003 I was sat at langars manifest on sunday and went out of my way to speak to this great lady. She was so enthusiastic and friendly and spoke about everything so positively. I was so impressed and said what an inspiration i thought she was. I believe she had completed some relative work on that big jump. I wish i, and other people had more of this ladies qualities and i wish her all the best for future jumps! Richard Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
