95-year-old Ivan Smith, Marine Veteran of the Korean War
"Flown Everywhere... This Is My Remaining Challenge"
Recently, news has been emerging from overseas about super-elderly individuals taking on skydiving challenges. On the 26th (local time), Fox News in the United States reported, “A 6.25 War veteran who turned 95 years old on the day before Memorial Day (the U.S. holiday honoring fallen soldiers) challenged himself to skydive, forgetting his age.”
The remarkable challenger is Mr. Ivan Smith, a U.S. Marine who participated in the war to protect Korea. Currently residing in San Marcos, southwestern Texas, Smith reportedly frequently flew planes during his Marine service. Additionally, while serving as a Marine, he worked on manufacturing Scorpion helicopters and two-person submarines.
Smith told Fox News, “I have been flying since the 1970s and even flew with (female stunt pilot) Patty Wagstaff. Of course, I wore a parachute back then, but fortunately, I never had to jump out.”
The video released that day showed Smith casually chatting with other challengers while wearing skydiving suits. He said, “I flew all over the place and flew a lot during my military service. So I know well what flying is.” He also said, “After leaving the military, I didn’t have much money to buy parachutes, so I took up scuba diving as a hobby. Then I thought, what’s left? Skydiving.”
He mentioned former President George H.W. Bush, who skydived in his 90s, saying, “I felt the same way,” and added, “I thought I could do it even at 95.” He expressed his desire, saying, “I want to jump again in five years (when I’m 100).”
Alfred Bleschke, who holds the record as the world's oldest skydiver, during his dive. [Image source=Guinness World Records YouTube]
Earlier, on the 9th, news was reported that 106-year-old Alfred Bleschke, born during World War I, successfully completed a skydive. With this challenge, Bleschke set a new record in the World Guinness Book as the “world’s oldest skydiver.”
Bleschke shared his thoughts with the Guinness Book, saying, “If you think you cannot accomplish something, you are underestimating your true strength. Everyone can exert more power than they think. You just need to turn your thoughts into action.”
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