At 80 years old, Bakersfield resident Ruth Shivers got to accomplish one very extreme goal.
She went skydiving Saturday in Taft.
When asked why she wanted to go skydiving Shivers answered, “It’s the adventure, it’s something I’ve never done.”
She added, “This is the last thing on my original bucket list, I keep finding new things to add.”
The adventure no surprise to Shivers’ best friend, Bonnie Beaty. “I think it’s great,” she said about Shivers’ sky diving. “I don’t have the nerve to do it so I am living vicariously through her doing it.”
Although Beaty stayed behind, Shivers didn’t battle gravity on her own. Her instructor and tandem partner named “Voo-Doo” said Shivers is actually the oldest woman he has seen jump and admires her spirit.
Shivers added that sky diving had other unexpected perks. “It’s a great way to be in a young mans arms, at my age that doesn’t happen often,” she laughed.
This is not the end of the list for Shivers, she plans to ride in a zeppelin and run with polar bears before the year is up.
And although this was her first and last skydive, Shivers loved every minute.
“What a view, what a view, beautiful day for flying,” she said after the jump.
Shivers said she’s wanted to skydive since she was in her 20’s, but back then they didn’t have tandem jumps and she was too small to jump on her own.