North Battleford's Wilda O'Brien celebrated turning 90 by skydiving over Saskatoon. (Skydive Saskatoon)

By Martin Martinson

Living life to the fullest

A birthday to remember: North Battleford woman celebrates 90 years by skydiving

Jul 19, 2019 | 10:32 AM

Plummeting eight-thousand feet with nothing but a parachute and skydiving instructor latched to their back is no ordinary way for one to celebrate their 90 birthday.

Then again, North Battleford’s Wilda O’Brien is anything but ordinary.

From Alberta originally, O’Brien moved to Ontario for a number of years before settling down in North Battleford in 1999 along with her husband, a move to be closer to family.

Earlier this week, O’Brien celebrated turning 90 in style by skydiving in Saskatoon.

“Oh, it was fantastic,” she said of the experience. “I’ll do it again,” she added with a laugh.

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When asked about the inspiration for her extreme-sport celebration, O’Brien gave an answer so matter-of-fact, it only sounds natural.

“[It was] something different,” she said. “Someone suggested it, and I thought it sounded like a good idea, so I did it.”

It was that simple, and for O’Brien, she said that is her outlook on life; no room for fear or doubt, just living life to the fullest and making the absolute most of it.

Wilda O’Brien plummeted from eight thousand feet to celebrate her 90th birthday. (Skydive Saskatoon)

Sharp as a tack and armed with a lively sense of humor, O’Brien said there wasn’t a lot of time for second-guessing after she made the decision to go through with her plan.

“When I first gasped as we left the aircraft, I thought ‘whops! Kind of late to change my mind now, so I’m going to sit back and enjoy it,’ so I did.”

While this week was O’Brien’s first time jumping out of a plane, she’s no stranger to life on the extreme side of things.

She spent her 80^th birthday scuba diving in Greece while in the country on an expedition as a member of the archeological society. In her 70s, she went surfing.

“I like to do things that are different,” she said. “I want to enjoy my life to the fullest.”

Asked what she hopes others take away from her story, O’Brien was simple in her response.

“Don’t sit back on your tush and let life go by, enjoy it.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1