The 90-year-old woman has already skydived twice, once when she was 77 years old and again at 89.
Age is just a number for Mercy Baggs who is urging people to tick things off their bucket lists. The 90-year-old woman has already skydived twice, once when she was 77 years old and again at 89. She hails from Wiltshire.
In 2007, she went through major surgery to remove two tumors from her spine, according to the Independent. Post-surgery, Baggs was struggling to work but was determined to not let her life "stagnate". In April, she posted on her Facebook page that she suffers from arthritis as well. "I, like many other people, suffer with arthritis in my various joints but my right hand has now become practically useless to do simple things such as lifting things from the oven and trying to do buttons and tying shoe laces. The worst thing though is that I can no longer write a letter as my fingers on my right hand are so gnarled and swollen that all I can do is print letters and cards," she wrote.
However, these issues never stopped her from doing what she loves. She is now sharing her experiences with people as part of a new campaign by food delivery service, Wiltshire Farm Foods. The food company is offering a chance to people above 55 years to complete their bucket list.
The Wiltshire Farm Food has created a "Wishlist Fund" to help people fulfill their dreams. It is being done in collaboration with TV personality and dancer Dame Arlene Philips.
Baggs had agreed to skydive for the first time to raise money for charity. "My husband wasn’t too keen, but the point is that I was 77 and I thought that my life was beginning to stagnate – nothing very exciting was happening – and I wanted to do something different.”
"At first, when the door opens, it is very cold – the wind was blowing us from side to side – but gradually you start to enjoy it,” Baggs said.
“You’re literally skydiving and suddenly the parachute opens, and you see everything below you and it’s an exhilarating experience like no other, ” said the former police officer. She wants to do her third skydiving on her 95th birthday. She believes that "life begins at 60". Encouraging people who are above 55 years old, she said, “Never let anyone make you feel like you cannot do something because of your age because I don’t.”
We love sharing stories of our wonderful customers, especially when they do amazing things like tandem parachute jumps! This is exactly what our customer, Mercy Baggs did last month to raise funds for the brilliant Wiltshire Air Ambulance. pic.twitter.com/OmCk21audD
— Wiltshire Farm Foods (@wiltsfarmfoods) April 29, 2022
TV personality Philips also shared that he wants more people to live out their dreams. “I’d love to see more people live out their lifelong dreams in their mature years and embrace the freedom that older age brings, and that’s why I’m working with Wiltshire Farm Foods to launch the Wishlist Fund. Life is for living, so live it!” A spokesperson from Wiltshire Farm Foods said that by helping people to tick things off their wish lists, the company hopes to “[facilitate] the older generation’s most cherished desires”. People above the age of 55 can nominate themselves or someone they know for the fund here. Applications close on October 25, 2022.
Reference:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/woman-skydive-old-age-b2206755.html
Cover Image Source: Facebook/ Mercy Baggs/ Netheravon
