106-Year-Old Texas Man Reclaims Record As World’s Oldest Skydiver

It's a record he had held before, but after having the record swiped up by another, he bravely stepped forward to reclaim the title.

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And what was that title? He's the oldest person to ever tandem skydive and it's the second time he's held the record.

He is 106-year-old Alfred "Al" Blaschke from Texas and with his new Guinness World Record, he remarked that he was proof positive that "everyone is more capable than they think."

Blaschke first grabbed the record as the world's oldest skydiver back in 2020 when he was 103 as he skydived to mark his twin grandsons’ college graduations.

But, in the fall of 2023, that record was broken by another. In a story from theguardian.com, we learn:

On 1 October, 104-year-old Dorothy Hoffner of Chicago made a tandem skydive aimed at landing her the world’s record for essentially being the oldest person ever to jump from a plane.

Blaschke then soared to the skies on a plane the morning of 27 November 2023. After reaching an altitude of 9,000ft (2.7km) over Fentress, Texas, Blaschke attached himself to a skydiving instructor and jumped out of the plane into a free fall with him. The pair then safely parachuted the final 5,500ft (1.7km) to the ground while his children, grandchildren, journalists and government officials cheered on below.

While living beyond the century mark is an incredible achievement, the fact that Al continues to push the limits of his abilities could very well be the reason he's lived so long.

Congratulations young man! Here's hoping you do it again on your 110th!