105-year-old man becomes the oldest person to paraglide tandem

On a fine spring day in 2020, Yu Te-Hsin, a 105-year-old man, went out for a picnic with his family. 

Driving past Humtou Mountain in Puli, Yu saw people paragliding and asked to stop to watch. 

A former teacher, Yu is young at heart and is always curious to try new things. 

Seeing that her grandpa was very interested in flying, his granddaughter immediately asked the flight instructor whether the elder could have a go. 

However, before he could go flying, they had to prove he was fit enough to manage it. 

Despite a recent surgery, he was recovering well both physically and mentally. 

After careful consultation with his physiotherapist, it was believed that Yu was fit enough to complete paragliding. 

So, accompanied by his granddaughter, Yu returned to the paraglider club to complete his desire to fly.

Before Yu could take off, a trainer had to test and verify the flight conditions. Afterwards, with the help of a professional coach, Mr. Yu put on his flying gear. 

Following the wind, Yu, accompanied by the coach, jumped into the air and rose to a height of 780 meters. 

The parasol spirals up and down with the air currents, overlooking the beautiful scenery of the mountain city. 

Yu took a selfie stick to record his first paragliding flight.

Just before he landed, the ground staff immediately came forward to catch him to ensure he landed safely on the ground, and everyone at the centre came forward to applaud him.

What started as an ordinary family outing then officially turned into Yu setting a new Guinness World Records title for the oldest person to paraglide tandem (male). 

"After taking off, I looked to the ground, oh! I'm above the land. Looking ahead, the sky was clear and beautiful!" Yu said. 

"It is so beautiful and glorious to look down on God's creation in flight." 

His granddaughter was relieved and happy that he had successfully and safely broken the record. 

"Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the plan to accompany him to Tokyo Disneyland was cancelled," she explained.

"Grandpa also had a lumbar operation, so he could only spend some time nearby. I just wanted to help my grandfather fly. I didn't know he could do it on his first try."

Yu's optimistic mindset and desire to explore encapsulates this year's Guinness World Records Day theme of Discover Your World perfectly.

Yu has shown that age is no limit for looking at the world from another angle.