Indian woman, 70, skydives from 13,000 feet in Dubai: 'I'm ready to go to space'

Reflecting on her journey, Leela credited her late husband, a bank officer, for encouraging her adventurous spirit despite his own fears.

A 70-year-old woman from Kerala has gone viral for proving that adventure knows no age limit. Leela Jose, a homemaker from Konnathady in Idukki, recently skydived from 13,000 feet in Dubai, becoming one of the oldest women from India to attempt the feat.

the 70-year-old believes every moment of life is worth celebrating.(Unsplash/Representative)

In an interview with Gulf News, Leela shared that she had often joked with her friends about skydiving, though most dismissed it as an impossible dream. However, during a visit to Dubai last month to meet her son, Aneesh P Jose, she decided to finally make it happen.

Initially, her son brushed off the idea, thinking it was just a passing thought. However, when he realised his mother was serious, he reached out to a skydiving team in Dubai. The crew, assuming Aneesh was the one eager for the jump, were surprised when Leela herself turned up, determined and ready.

Leap of faith

The day of the dive was one she would never forget. “I had this huge urge to jump, so I just kept quiet,” she recalled.

Then, when her turn came to jump, she took the leap of faith and found herself soaring above Dubai’s stunning landscape. “I saw the sea. I thought if anything happens, I’ll jump into the water and swim, because I know swimming,’ she recalled.

“It was a beautiful sight,” she said, adding, “It was an incredible experience.”

‘Time to enjoy the rest of my life’

Reflecting on her journey, Leela credited her late husband, a bank officer, for encouraging her adventurous spirit despite his own fears. “I am just a homemaker. My husband was a very nice person,” she said, adding that he always supported her curiosity to explore new things.

Leela also shared that this wasn’t her first taste of adventure, as she had earlier tried ziplining in Wayanad and paragliding in Fujairah.

Now, the 70-year-old believes every moment of life is worth celebrating. “I raised two children, and I have two grandchildren now. I have lived enough. Whatever I have from now on is a bonus. It is time to enjoy the rest of my life. There is nothing to be scared about,” she said.

“I am ready to go to space. Why not? There is no age to dream,” Leela added.