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Watch this 104-yr-old woman break the world tandem skydiving record

Dorothy Hoffner tried skydiving for the first time on her 100th birthday and loved it.

@skydivechicago/Instagram

Dorothy Hoffner is pure #agingoals.

If you're looking for some aging inspiration, look no further, because Dorothy Hoffner is about to blow your mind.

At 104, Hoffner just became the oldest person to parachute out of an airplane in a tandem skydive. That's right, skydive. At 104 years old—or to be exact, 104 years and 289 days old—beating the previous world record set by a 103-year-old in Sweden in May of 2022.

But it's actually even more impressive than that. It's not like Hoffner is someone who's been skydiving since she was young and just happened to keep on doing it as she got older. She actually didn't go on her first skydiving adventure until her 100th birthday.

On Oct 1, 2023, she joined the team at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois, for the world-breaking tandem skydive. Though she uses a walker to get around, she manages the physical toll of plummeting through the air at 10,000+ feet before parachuting to a skidding stop strapped to a certified U.S. Parachute Association (USPA) tandem instructor with impressive ease.

“Let’s go, let’s go, Geronimo!” Hoffner said after she boarded the plane, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Watch her do what many of us would be too terrified to attempt:

The way she rolls right out of that plane cool as a cucumber! Hoffner told the Tribune that on her first skydive, at age 100, she had to be pushed out of the plane. But this time, knowing what she was in for, she took charge with calm confidence.

“Skydiving is a wonderful experience, and it’s nothing to be afraid of," Hoffner shares. "Just do it!”

That's some seriously sage advice from someone who knows firsthand that age really is just a number. Learn more about skydiving with Skydive Chicago here.

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A dad took these touching photos of his 'astronaut' son exploring planet Earth.

Photographer Aaron Sheldon was at the doctor's office with his son when he stumbled onto the perfect metaphor for childhood.

"[Harrison] was scared to sit on the exam table because it's a little high upfor a 3-year-old," Aaron recalled. "So I'm talking with him about being brave, and whattypes of people are brave and have to sit on exam tables. And we'retalking about policemen and firemen and he said, 'Hey, how aboutastronauts? Are they brave?'"

Yep. Sure are.

"So he pretended he was an astronaut, sat on the table, and did agreat job."

It was there that Aaron's adorable photo project, "Small Steps Are Giant Leaps," was born.

When Harrison had to go back for another checkup a few months later, Aaron brought his camera. And a space suit.

Astronaut Harrison sits on an exam table. All photos by Aaron Sheldon, used with permission.

From that exam room, the two traveled to all sorts of new places. Like a far-off land known only as "Target."

Harrison explores the frozen-food aisle of Target.

And to a tiny indoor ocean. Otherwise known as a swimming pool.

Harrison gears up for a swim.

And to a place filled with the most fantastic creatures you've ever seen.

Harrison watches a polar bear at the zoo.

The more places they went, the more Aaron started to realize that this astronaut thing went beyond just bravery. It was about exploration and boldly venturing into unknown territory.

Which, for kids, is almost everywhere.

Even somewhere as simple as a movie theater.

Harrison chows down on popcorn at the movies.

Aaron says the project highlights just how curious his son and kids like him are about the world.

You can tell by the questions Aaron's son asks during and after shoots.

Harrison gets ready for a plane trip.

Looking at the photos "would prompt him to think of aquestion about space or photography," Aaron said. "Like, 'How do astronauts do laundry in space?'; 'Do they eat spaghetti and meatballs in space?' So that was kind of theincubator of new ideas: OK, how can we show that question in a story,in an image?"

He also wants other parents to see the photos and remember that our kids are like little Earth-bound astronauts: endlessly curious and on a mission to better understand, well, everything.

Harrison waits patiently at the laundromat.

"We need to help them be explorers inour everyday world."

When we get irritated or frustrated or exhausted by our kids (and as a fellow parent, believe me, I know we do), Aaron hopes we'll take a moment to remember what the world looks like through their eyes.

Or, in Harrison's case, their visor.

Harrison waits at the barbershop.

One day last year, Aaron and Harrison were riding around their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, on a bus. And it was a blast ... at first.

Aaron said his son was having the time of his life just looking out the window at the passing scenery. But then, "it's time to get off the bus, and he's just not listening to me and I'm starting to get a little ticked off," Aaron said.

"And I realize: 'Hey, this isn't justa bus ride for him. This is a new experience. So chill and give him acouple of minutes to really enjoy it.'"

Though the project is nearly over and Harrison will eventually outgrow his space suit, that powerful lesson will stick with Aaron forever.

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15 epic adventures this boy's lost elephant toy went on thanks to Photoshop.

Instead of telling 4-year-old Colin that his toy elephant, Fezzik, had gotten lost, his parents decided to tell their son that the stuffed animal was simply traveling the world.

Losing a favorite toy can be a devastating experience for a child, so to make sure their story was especially convincing, Colin's parents turned to a friend of theirs, who posted a photo of Fezzik on Reddit along with his backstory.

Redditors immediately responded by digitally inserting Fezzik anywhere and everywhere you can imagine, all around the world.

Thanks to the quick and creative minds on Reddit who are incredibly handy with Photoshop, Colin's parents were able to turn a sad moment into an incredible global journey and learning experience for their son.

Here are 15 of the most exotic locales Fezzik the Elephant visited:

1. Here he is in France. Ooh la la!

Image by Astrophysicyst, used with permission.

2. Here he is walking across the Great Wall of China.

Image by Astrophysicyst, used with permission.

3. Fezzik danced the hula in Hawaii.

Image by Astrophysicyst, used with permission.

4. And enjoyed a gondola ride in Italy.

Image by versachh, used with permission.

5. Fezzik hung out with Paddington Bear — another famous lost stuffed animal — in London.

Image by Astrophysicyst, used with permission.

6. And got to chill with a tiger at the Taj Mahal in India.

Image by Astrophysicyst, used with permission.

7. Fezzik even found time to go skydiving!

Image by abw, used with permission.

8. Here, Fezzik found himself among monks in Cambodia.

Image by kungfujohnjon, used with permission.

9. Before traveling to Egypt to see the pyramids.

Image by Astrophysicyst, used with permission.

10. And climbing the stone walls of Machu Picchu.

Image by Astrophysicyst, used with permission.

11. And sailing the ocean in Norway as a viking.

Image by Astrophysicyst, used with permission.

12. Finally, Fezzik found himself back with other elephants, like this one at Disney World.

Image by criticalg, used with permission.

13. And these elephants, wild like he was always meant to be.

Image by criticalg, used with permission.

14. Fezzik even found a fellow elephant interested in playing a lively game of soccer.

Image by criticalg, used with permission.

15. Even though Fezzik was miles away from Colin, Colin could sleep easily at night knowing that wherever Fezzik was, he was loved.

Image via criticalg, used with permission.

The family friend who posted the original request told everyone who participated in the Photoshop battle how moved Colin's parents were by their generosity and incredible pictures.

Colin's mom even wrote on Reddit to say that he's already begging to go to the library to check out books on places Fezzik visited on his many adventures.

This was a great way to turn a moment of loss into a positive learning experience for their son. Fezzik's adventures around the world prove there are ways parents can lessen the blow when it comes time for their child to let go of a toy or object that provides them with a sense of comfort.

Think of it as losing a special friend but gaining an exciting sense of adventure.

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A letter to my daughter: Why I will always be your partner in this world.

Dear Little Chow: The world is yours to make better.

True
Fathers Everywhere

To my daughter, Little Chow:

All photos by the author, used with permission.

I first traveled outside of my country when I was 18.

But at age 3, your world is already so much more advanced, and yet more complicated than the world I inherited.

You have already touched more than 10 countries.

I lived more than half of my life before the internet and email came and took over my life; you were born into social media. Mama and I collected hundreds of Likes on Facebook when we announced your entrance into the world.

Assuming all goes well, you are going to be a first-world child, and this is great.

But I’ll be honest: Sometimes I worry about this too.

Mama and I both have jobs, and you are fortunate to have lived way above the poverty line. You have not experienced famine, war, instability, malnutrition, and homelessness. When we go shopping, we can always buy something, however small it is. We love it when we see you running around in the courtyard of our home. It gives us comfort that we are doing well as parents, and we hope to provide that oasis for you as long as possible.

Right now, you are still on the inside of the glass.

I certainly hope for you to live a good life. However, I also do not want you to grow up feeling this is normal — and, worse, feeling you are entitled to this way of living.

700 million people live in poverty today, and millions are affected by conflict, poverty, and natural disasters. The world is imbalanced.

But I don’t want you to be merely happy as you grow up. I also want you to be a compassionate, understanding, and, ultimately, useful human being,

What can we do about this? I will bring you into the world.

Before you entered my world, my life looked different. It involved travels around the globe, extreme outdoor adventures, and understanding global inequality through my personal work. My life has mellowed a little since you came around, and that’s a good thing.

But I hope we can continue to adventure together. I have brought you to the wilder parts of the Great Wall of China for weekend hikes. When we subject you to a challenge, without feedback from society or peers your age, you don’t know your own limits and you surpass our expectations. You appreciate the nature, the flowers, the climb, and that made me happy.

I want a child of mine to love nature so she can grow up to be in love with the Earth we live in, beyond her own small world.

I will bring you to Everest Base Camp come this fall. We will walk together when you can, and I am prepared to carry you up when you feel weary.

In your life, during travels and long days, I promise to guide you along and be a friend and a companion.

I don’t want to outsource this portion of parenting to a professional, an institution, or someone else. As a father, I love the challenge, and it is a privilege I will cherish.

All these things I will teach you before you go to school. Then from there, I hope you can learn to be a citizen of the world.

This is my personal promise to you: I will teach you about the world so you know where you stand.

You will be a first-world child, and I hope to teach you to understand what that means and entails.

And I promise to keep including you in my world — to walk along and to grow with you.

Love,

Papa

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