World War 2 Veteran Parachutes from Plane to Mark 100th Birthday

• Thomas Rice, an ex-soldier who fought in World War 2, turned 100 in style
• The centenarian, who was a paratrooper, parachuted from a plane to mark his special day
• Rice appeared unfazed as he landed at a hotel where family and friends were waiting

Age is just a number, so goes a common saying. A 100-year-old World War 2 veteran seems to be living by this mantra as he marked becoming a centenarian uniquely.

On Sunday, August 15, Thomas Rice parachuted from a plane which was his favourite during the war.

"The airplane that he loves is our C-53D DO and refers to her as his favourite aircraft which he nicknamed DOLLY," a representative of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) team said.

In a video of the jump, the unfazed centenarian and his co-pilot landed in front of a hotel in San Diego as a group of family and friends cheered him on.

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Having fun

Speaking afterwards, the centenarian said the skydiving experience was lots of fun.

"It’s unbelievable what you can view from up there. We do a lot of manoeuvring up there. That was a lot of fun,” he told Fox 5.

According to CAF, Rice is no novice at parachuting as he is a seasoned paratrooper.

"His first experience in combat was parachuting into the dark skies. He was dropped at 160 mph as the pilots of his plane tried to evade the enemy fire,” the organisation stated.

After the war, Rice got a degree at San Diego State University and was a social science and history teacher for over four decades.

He also wrote a memoir titled Trial by Combat: A Paratrooper of the 101st Airborne Division Remembers the 1944 Battle of Normandy.

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Edith Murway-Traina: 100-year-old woman becomes the world's oldest powerlifter

Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that a lot of people are currently passionate about keeping fit by weight lifting, toning the body and even getting that killer figure and visiting the gym.

Edith Murway-Traina is 100 but lifts weights like a young person.

The grandmother admitted that she gained confidence through a push from a friend who persistently encouraged her and gave her the moral support to start weightlifting.

She was not initially happy about the whole idea but that changed and now she is aiming at lifting at least 200lbs before she hits 100 years.

Many people are often a bit weaker by the time they get to their 90s but Edith still has the stamina and strength of a champion and true inspiration.

She lifts weight three times a week and if that is not enough, she also attends six competitions yearly.

Source: Briefly News