At 103, Evelyn Franks had already lived long enough to see plenty of people talk themselves out of big dreams. On Friday, the Middletown woman finally followed through on one of her own, jumping from an airplane and setting Ohio’s record for the oldest person to go skydiving in the state.
Franks made the leap at Start Skydiving alongside her daughter Darlene Claspill, one of Franks’ 10 children, according to FOX19. She spent roughly 15 minutes above the clouds before landing to a celebration attended by dozens of friends and family members.
A Decades-Old Dream Finally Got Airborne
Franks had been talking about skydiving for decades, and her daughter said she repeatedly asked during the two days before the jump whether it was finally time to go. The jump took place at Start Skydiving at Middletown Regional Airport, a local drop zone that offers first-time tandem jumps and says its instructors are certified through the United States Parachute Association.
“Better late than never,” Franks said, according to FOX19, adding that she felt blessed to have made the jump. Skydiving instructor Larry Compton called it a new record and said Franks’ “zest for life” made the milestone especially meaningful.
Her Next Milestone Is Already On The Calendar
Franks plans to celebrate her 104th birthday in October, and she offered a straightforward explanation for how she has made it this far. In comments reported by FOX19, she credited common sense, taking good care of her body, never smoking and approaching life one day at a time.
For Franks, the record was less about chasing a number than finally checking off a dream that had been waiting patiently for its turn. Her advice to anyone watching from the ground was equally direct: Not everybody gets to go skydiving, so someday might as well be the day.
