If you’re looking for an extraordinary way to celebrate a birthday, here’s a story that might just spark your next big adventure. Dr. Shraddha Chauhan, at the remarkable age of 80, has set a new record by becoming the oldest Indian woman to complete a skydive. She chose to mark her milestone birthday by leaping from an altitude of 10,000 feet.
What is more remarkable is that Dr. Chauhan accomplished this while struggling with vertigo, cervical spondylitis, and spinal disc problems. Her skydive occurred at Skyhigh India, located at the Narnaul Airstrip in Haryana, India’s only certified civilian drop zone, a mere two hours away from Delhi.
A clip of her leap, which went viral later, was uploaded by Skyhigh India on its official Instagram account. The touching video captures Dr. Chauhan gearing up for the leap with the help of her son, Retired Brigadier Saurabh Singh Shekhawat, who is one of India’s top-decorated officers.
Take a look:
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In the video, while Dr. Chauhan, clearly moved to emotion, kisses her son on the cheek, he stands beaming and says to her, “Happy Birthday.” Dr. Chauhan was also overjoyed, adding, “The wish I had in my heart to fly in the sky like an aeroplane, today my son has done that. It’s a very proud moment.”
The video nicely covers Brigadier Shekhawat taking his mother through the warm-up exercises, assisting her with the preparation inside the plane, and then the thrilling free fall, recorded on a GoPro, as they shared their unforgettable moment of joy way up in the air.
As soon as Dr. Chauhan landed, a cheering crowd greeted her, applauding her record-breaking jump. Skyhigh India captioned the video, “She is now the oldest Indian woman to do a tandem skydive – and the oldest to do so within India. A mother. A milestone. A moment that soared. Courage knows no age. Love has no altitude.”
