June Lee did a tandem parachute jump from 12,000 feet near Wānaka, crossing it off her bucket list.
When she attended the jump safety briefing, June said a family asked if she was “just there to learn”.
"The look on their faces when I said ‘no, no I'm here to jump too.’ They were shocked,” she told The Star.
A resident at Ngaio Marsh Retirement Village in Papanui, June has always loved the sky and aerial adventures.
She had been reminiscing about her brief interest in skydiving many years ago ahead of her milestone birthday when she decided to give it another go.
At 18, June was one of the first women to join the Christchurch Parachuting Club in 1954 and did two jumps.
This time around, June hoped to tandem with a “good-looking man” and was in luck to have instructor Niels Bloemendal guiding her through the jump.
“I was absolutely elated. It was very exciting, the whole thing,” she said.
“There was just beautiful scenery and I felt fantastic. The landing was quite gentle as well.”
Although she was not nervous, June said she felt more aware of the potential danger than when she was young.
“Back then it was just an exciting thing to do. I didn’t much think about any risks.”
The difference in safety standards from 1954 to today stuck out to June.
“Back then it was in the little tiger moth (plane) and the pilot sat in the in the rear cockpit and I sat on the edge with my feet out on the wing. I was just hanging out and holding on to the struts,” she said.
“I had sort of done my dash after those two jumps and satisfied my interest.”
However, trying another skydive again remained on her bucket list, so June told her three sons of the plan.
“When she told us what she wanted to do for her 90th, we were a bit taken aback,” said son Philip Lee.
“But when we understood the connection to her previous jumps, we got on board. I think it’s made her probably the coolest great-grandma around. We’re just so proud of her.”
June completed the jump with Skydive Wānaka on January 31, but she and her sons kept it a secret from friends and wider family until revealing a video at her birthday party on Sunday.
Lee said everyone at the party was “very surprised” to see the footage.
“There were quite a few gasps of shock when they saw mum jump out of the plane. It went over really well and was exactly what we wanted with surprising everyone,” Philip said.
Although Skydive Wānaka checked she was in good health, June said they were very excited by her interest in parachuting.
“I felt very looked after and they talked me through it nicely.”
A teacher during her working life, June has occasionally embraced opportunities to try something daring.
From a ride in a glider to hot air ballooning, she has long loved sky-based activities and has now ticked off most of her bucket list.
“The next thing I want to do is a helicopter ride and that will complete the list,” she said.
June would recommend a parachute jump to older people keen to try it.
“You certainly have to be reasonably fit, but go for it. If you want to do something, go for it.”
