As many Australians slow down with age, Sunshine Coast octogenarian Donald Walker is doing the opposite, chasing thrills in his WWI-era flying goggles and proving adventure doesn’t have an expiration date. 

Just weeks shy of his 90th birthday, Mr Walker jumped out of a plane to skydive with his grandson Scott in a memorable experience that combined breathtaking views with an unforgettable adrenaline rush.

The pair made the leap from 13,000 feet over Noosa, freefalling for about one minute before enjoying a more relaxed five to seven minutes in the parachute and landing on the soft sands of Coolum Beach.

For Mr Walker, the jump was about much more than ticking off another bucket-list item.

“I don’t want to get old,” he says simply.

His determination to embrace life has seen him take up skydiving later than most. He made his first jump on the eve of his 70th birthday, returned for another at 83, before his third jump days before turning 90.

“I don’t get nervous about anything, except public speaking, so it was great,” Mr Walker said.

“The best part about it was when we got up as high as we could go, the view, because of the clearness of the atmosphere, was absolutely fantastic. I didn’t actually look at the horizon but they told me they could see Brisbane and someone reckoned they could see the Gold Coast. It was just brilliant.”

Mr Walker,  who lives independently in Mount Coolum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, says despite the usual aches and pains of old age, he’s refusing to slow down. 

While he still holds a driver’s licence, he prefers to get around on the e-bike he bought seven years ago “long before they became fashionable”.

SkyDive Australia Chief Commercial Officer Fiona Stillwell says there’s an entire generation of older Aussies like Donald who are increasingly seeking out high-octane bucket list activities. 

Data from Skydive Australia shows a growing interest in skydiving from older Australians with 14,491 people over the age of 50 deciding to jump since 2023. Of these people, more than 269 of them were over the age of 75.

As World Skydive Day is celebrated on Saturday, July 11, Mr Walker’s latest jump serves as a reminder that courage, curiosity and a sense of adventure don’t diminish with age.

For one almost-90-year-old Sunshine Coast thrill-seeker, the sky is still not the limit.

Images: Skydive Noosa