100-Year-Old Man Climbs the Roof of 02 Arena in Wheelchair to Celebrate Birthday, Video Stirs Mixed Reactions
- A war veteran has made history as he becomes the oldest person to climb the roof of the 02 Arena dome
- 100-year-old Harry White made the climb in a wheelchair with the aid of his team as he marked his birthday
- The old man who shattered a record he had kept at the age of 97 said he wanted something challenging for his birthday
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An old man has marked attaining a centenary age in grand style. The man celebrated his 100th birthday by climbing the roof of the 02 Arena dome located in Peninsula, United Kingdom.
BBC News reports that the man named Harry White had, at the age of 97, held the record of being the oldest climber of the 50m tall structure.
Source: UGC
Harry was able to achieve the roof climb in a wheelchair and with assistance from his team members.
Speaking on the historic feat, the war veteran stated that he had wanted something quite challenging for his birthday and was happy it is now a reality.
At the roof top, the celebrant was presented with a cake.
Many disputed his record
Some social media users faulted his achievement on the ground that he was aided by team members.
@barrlock6665 commented:
"The views must have been spectacular. He probably could see for blocks and blocks."
@_fanofgeorgerussell63 remarked:
"He not climbing the O2 arena but that’s nice happy 100th birthday Prince Philip u get your letter from the queen soon enough."
@fifbrownlie reacted:
"Happy Birthday Harry! Wishing you a wonderful day and many thanks for your service!"
@saagar98 thought:
"Dont give him a climber title as 100s of People are literally pushing his wheelchair!! Man oh man just relax and enjoy your time."
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96-year-old makes history in Italy as oldest student to finish school
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that a 96-year-old man had celebrated after his historic feat of becoming the oldest student to graduate in Italy.
Briefly News noted that the nonagenarian said when he enrolled in 2017, he understood that it was a little late to get a three-year degree but he still went ahead with it.
Paterno said:
"I said: 'That's it - now or never,' and so in 2017, I decided to enrol. I understood that it was a little late to get a three-year degree but I said to myself 'let's see if I can do it'."⠀
Going back to school at such an advanced age is rare, and Paterno may have made the decision in fulfilment of his dream before leaving the surface of the earth.
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Source: Briefly News
Stefan Mack (Editor) Stefan Mack is an English and history teacher who has broadened his horizons with journalism. He enjoys experiencing the human condition through the world's media. Stefan keeps Briefly News' readers entertained during the weekend. He graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2010 with a Bachelor of Education (BEd), majoring in History and English. Stefan has been writing for Briefly News for a number of years and has covered mainstream to human interest articles.
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
