Grandma from northeast China becomes famous with 4,000-meter parachute jump

A grandma from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province challenged people's concept of the elderly people's lifestyle and became an internet hit by parachute jumping from an altitude of 4,000 meters.(photo grabbed from Reuters video)
A grandma from northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province challenged people’s concept of the elderly people’s lifestyle.(from Reuters video)

YANG JIANG, China (CCTV) — A grandma from northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province challenged people’s concept of the elderly people’s lifestyle and became an internet hit by parachute-jumping from an altitude of 4,000 meters.

Zuo Shufen, nearly 70 years old, flew to south China’s Guangdong Province with her granddaughter to experience skydiving during this year’s Labor Day Holiday.

“My granddaughter suggested parachute-jumping last year, so this year I went with her without telling my son. I felt quite calm, not nervous at all until they opened the door of the airplane, I felt my face was distorted by gusts of wind, as if I was going to jump into a deep pit,” said Zuo.

Zuo’s son was surprised and shocked to learn about his mother’s adventure afterward.

“Even people at my age may not dare to attempt this kind of strenuous sports. I am really surprised and scared,” said her son, Sun Shengbin.

After landing safely, Zuo was obviously in a good shape and even gave a thumb-up gesture to the camera.

According to the coaches, though parachute jumping does not have age limit, it requires participants to have proper blood pressure, sound heart function and physical flexibility.

When they were worried that the grandma would not lift her feet high enough, she surprised them all by doing a full leg split.

It turns out that she had gone for regular physical exercises after her retirement, making her have such a flexible body.

After her successful parachute jump, Zuo set another goal for her retired life.

“My granddaughter said that after experiencing sky diving this year, she would take me to enjoy water diving during her spring vacation next year,” said Zuo.