102-year-old great-grandmother becomes oldest skydiver in the world

In this Dec. 9, 2018 photo, Irene O'Shea, bottom, skydives in Australia. A 102-year-old woman has completed a world record charity skydive in the Australian state of South Australia. Irene O'Shea became the oldest female skydiver on Sunday when she took part in the jump in the town of Langhorne Creek. less In this Dec. 9, 2018 photo, Irene O'Shea, bottom, skydives in Australia. A 102-year-old woman has completed a world record charity skydive in the Australian state of South Australia. Irene O'Shea became the ... more Photo: AP Photo: AP Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close 102-year-old great-grandmother becomes oldest skydiver in the world 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

A fearless great-grandmother leapt into record books Sunday when she jumped out of a plane hovering 14,000 feet above ground. At 102, Irene O'Shea is the oldest skydiver in history.

Wearing a knitted sweater, O'Shea made the jump in the skies over South Australia, with the help of dive instructors and a specialized harness that allowed her jump partner to mitigate some of the risks of landing. After a short free fall and a smooth parachute opening, O'Shea and her partner met the ground smoothly. They were greeted with hugs from O'Shea's great-grandchildren and a cheering audience.

"She was an absolute joy to have on the dropzone," the Adelaide company that assisted in the jump, SA Skydiving, said in a statement.

O'Shea hopes the stunt will raise awareness and funds for the Motor Neuron Disease Association of South Australia, and asks fans to donate to her GoFundMe campaign. O'Shea's daughter died of MND 10 years ago.

This is not the first time the centenarian has tossed herself from a plane. She first skydived at age 100, again to fundraise for MND, and has jumped every year since.

The oldest person to skydive was previously Bryson William Verdun Hayes, a D-Day veteran who beat the record last year at age 101, the Press Association reported.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.

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