Most people believe that paragliding is a sport for young people only. That’s as may be, but 106-year-old Yu Te-hsin from Taichung has always wanted to experience the feeling of soaring through the sky. On May 14, Yu’s family took him to Tiger Head Mountain in Nantou County’s Puli Township for the ride of his life. After receiving professional instruction, he completed a successful takeoff and landing and broke the record in Taiwan for the oldest person to attempt the feat.
A retired teacher, Yu takes his health and fitness seriously and, despite his advancing years, remains in rude health. He still loves to try new things, and told his family he would like to have a go at paragliding. They were gobsmacked at the time, and tried to persuade him to drop the idea, but he had no intention of doing so. His granddaughters arranged everything and took him to a paragliding school at Puli’s Tiger Head Mountain so their grandfather could fulfill his dream.
Yu strapped on safety equipment and, with everyone running alongside, caught the wind and soared into the air with his instructor. Using the air currents, the two spiraled through the sky while Yu filmed it all, using a selfie stick. While filming some golden memories, he had plenty of time to take in the scenery before the two safely landed to a round of hearty applause from everyone on the ground.
Photo courtesy of Yu Te-hsin 照片：尤德馨提供
After landing, an ecstatic Yu said although it was a dream of his to go paragliding, on arrival he didn’t in the least bit apprehensive and just focused on the flying. He added that the birds-eye view was spectacular and the experience had left him with wonderful memories that he will cherish for ever.
Yu’s instructor says when Yu’s granddaughters first got in touch and enquired whether their 106-year-old could go for a lesson, he was initially worried Yu’s body might not being to handle the stress. However, following a medical check-up Yu was given the all-clear. After completing his paragliding experience, Yu became the oldest person in Taiwan to paraglide, a record previously held by a 93-year-old.
(Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times)
Photo courtesy of Yu Te-hsin 照片：尤德馨提供
一般人認為飛行傘極限運動是年輕人的專利，但來自台中市一○六歲人瑞尤德馨，也特別想體驗翱翔天際的樂趣，本月十四日家人帶著他南投縣埔里鎮虎頭山搭乘飛行傘，在專業教練的協助下順利起飛、降落，完成飛行的夢想，也破了台灣最高齡乘飛行傘的紀錄！
尤德馨是退休教師，已高齡一○六歲，重視養生的他身體仍十分硬朗，也勇於嘗試新事物，有一次他向家人說，想嘗試飛行傘，讓眾人大吃一驚，家人勸阻，他也未打消念頭，因此由孫女們安排，到埔里虎頭山飛行傘場一圓飛行夢。
老爺爺在專業教練的協助下穿妥安全裝備，以及眾人助跑下，順著風勢與陪同的教練順利升空，飛行傘隨著氣流在空中盤旋上下，老爺爺手持自拍器，拍下值得紀念的一刻，也欣賞埔里山城美景，最後雙人平安降落，所有人都為他鼓掌喝采。
尤德馨開心地說，既然是自己的夢想，到了現場就沒什麼好怕的，飛就對了，而且空中景色真的很美，這趟飛行傘之旅令他難忘。
飛行傘教練也說，當初接到家屬洽詢，得知是一○六歲的人瑞，很擔心老爺爺的身體狀況能否應付空中飛行，在醫療人員確認身體、安全無虞後，當天下午順利體驗飛行傘活動，之前國內乘坐飛行傘最高齡應是九十三歲，尤德馨已一○六歲，也破了台灣最高齡飛飛行傘紀錄。
(自由時報記者佟振國)
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