Three Parksville octogenarians took a big leap over the weekend and ticked skydiving off their bucket lists, while they raised thousands of dollars for a worthy cause.
Berwick Parksville residents Colleen Bonner, Ruth Goertzen and Ken Greenwell enjoyed a huge thrill when they jumped on July 29, landing safely at Arbutus Meadows.
“I think it met my expectations and more. Going against the unknown is a little scary,” said Greenwell, 82. “Now I’ve been there, done that.”
Berwick Parksville Retirement Community residents and staff raised more than $4,000 for the Oceanside Hospice Society, which added up to approximately $10,000 combined, part of a larger effort that also involved groups like the Qualicum Beach Seniors Activity Centre.
The first 30 seconds of free fall (going 200 km/h) was exhilarating “and cold — and the wind is just whipping your face back,” said Bonner, who turns 83 this year.
Once the parachute opens up, they were able to steer using toggles.
“And if you hang on to it a little longer you start to spiral,” said Goertzen, 84. “That was the most fun.”
This was Goertzen’s second skydiving jump and she’d happily try it again.
The group was glad they jumped tandem with an instructor.
“You’re in his hands. Thank goodness you’re strapped to him,” said Greenwell. “Once we got underway I felt confident. I didn’t even see the canopy, I didn’t see the colour of my canopy until we landed.”
READ MORE: Parksville octogenarians set to cross skydiving off bucket list
Two staff members joined in on the adventure, including office manager Jennifer Keats.
“It was so great to see all of our residents out there and everybody came to watch,” said Keats, who added that although it was terrifying, she would still try it again. “I screamed the entire way down.”
The idea originally came from the Qualicum Beach Seniors Activity Centre and last year a resident from Berwick Qualicum Beach joined in the fun.
That generated a lot of excitement and Berwick Parksville was pleasantly surprised when not just one, but three residents volunteered to jump, according to Corinna Ludovici, community relations manager.
They were part of a group of 29 jumpers from the Parksville Qualicum Beach area and many people from the Berwick community were on hand to cheer them on and watch them land.
Before retirement, Bonner was a registered nurse, while Goertzen was a stay-at-home mom and also helped her husband with his contractor business. Greenwell was with the RCMP for 30 years, mostly in Alberta.
