Woman Celebrates 83rd Birthday By Skydiving

CHICAGO (CBS) -- While most of us were watching a parade, lounging by the pool, or cooking out on the grill on the 4th of July, a Lee County woman was celebrating her 83rd birthday by jumping out of a plane.

WBBM Newsradio's John Cody reports, not one to hog all the fun for herself, Lois Kettley brought along her 82-year-old pal Suzanne Bernardi, and jumped from 14,000 feet on Friday at Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle.

"I didn't persuade her. She just wanted to go. I would never talk anybody into doing a skydive. Never," Kettley said.

Her birthday jump was her third skydive. She started jumping out of planes on her 80th birthday, and she said she plans to do more.

"It's a blast of cold air in your face first, and then you just stretch out," she said. "It's a beautiful view from that altitude."

Kettley said it's important to keep stretching your limits, no matter your age.

"I have a personal opinion: if you don't keep moving, they'll throw dirt on you," she said.

Paul Piccolo, Senior Instructor at the Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle said with modern equipment, he's able to do tandem jumps with seniors landing on their feet, instead of having to drop and roll to the side like paratroopers.