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Celebrating in Style: 94-Year-Old Woman Rings in Birthday by Skydiving

HAZLE TOWNSHIP — Some may consider themselves lucky to even live to 94 years old. For one woman in our area, she’s alive and thriving at 94–so...

HAZLE TOWNSHIP -- Some may consider themselves lucky to even live to 94 years old. For one woman in our area, she's alive and thriving at 94--so much so, she wanted to celebrate her birthday by jumping out of a plane.

Eila Campbell of Williamsport isn't your everyday 94 year old. She didn't spend her birthday like a normal person, either.

Campbell was seeking a thrill, so she decided to cross off a bucket list item and go skydiving at Above the Poconos Skydiving in Hazle Township.

"This year, when I'm going to be this age, this old, I figured I'll never make it for another year," Campbell said. "I better do it now."

Before climbing to 10,000 feet up in the air on Old Airport Road near Hazleton, where she'd reach speeds up to 120 miles per hour during the free fall, Campbell was cool, calm and collected.

"I'm excited. Very excited," she said. "Hi everybody!" she added with a chuckle.

The weather was picture perfect: sunny with a slight breeze, so the dive and landing were flawless. Campbell's granddaughter was overjoyed seeing her grandmother celebrate her birthday in epic fashion.

"This was her bucket list and there was no way I was missing the most incredible matriarch jumping for one of the greatest families," Sarah Schuelke, who also participated in the skydiving said. "I wasn't going to miss it."

For Campbell, the jump was a thrill.

"The free fall is kind of a 'wow.' The wind is so terrific. It was great and I loved it. I'll do it again," Campbell said.

Don Keller, who owns the skydiving business and holds the Guinness Book of World Record for the most skydives at over 44,000 said that he's never seen anybody as old as Campbell participate in the thrilling activity.

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