101-year-old woman scales down a building, because she is BOSS
Who says you’re too old to try new things? Certainly not Doris Long, who started abseiling (that is, descending high buildings) at age 85, and who, at 101, just set the record as the oldest abseiler in the world (again).
Doris doesn’t just abseil for the heck of it. She’s performed this specific stunt no less than sixteen times in an effort to raise money for The Rowans Hospice, a local UK charity. This year, after abseiling down Portsmouth’s 328-foot Spinnaker Tower, she raised over £11,000 (that’s $17,000!).
When asked about her accomplishments, Doris is relatively chill, telling the BBC, “I don’t feel afraid and never have, I just have a placid nature.” Which I guess is good for someone who often finds themselves 328 feet up in the air. “It was very hard work, much harder than last year,” she said in reference to this year’s climb. “It was so windy I swung about a bit, but oh yes, I enjoyed it. I feel it’s well worth it.”
Definitely worth it, since the money she helps raise goes towards a charity that provides free and invaluable support for patients with terminal illnesses. Her courage makes it possible for those struggling to get all the care and love they could possibly need without spending a single penny (or, I guess, pence!).
Doris—now dubbed “Daring Doris” by the British press—has accomplished quite a lot in her life. She’s a great-grandmother to seven, and a great-great grandmother to three. Last year, the Hayley Island resident broke her own record abseiling down the same building to raise money in support of a hospice, and no surprise, she plans to do it all over again next year, at age 102.
She just can’t stop, and we can’t get enough. You can check out a video of her feat here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HonkTxMDK4Q
(Image via Youtube)
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