Kerala grandma, 70, goes viral for conquering Dubai skies in skydiving adventure

Dubai: A 70-year-old grandmother from a remote village in the south Indian state of Kerala might typically bring to mind someone leading a quiet, traditional life.

Though she does exactly that, Leela Jose P, from the hilly, forest-rich Idukki district, has shattered stereotypes and captured hearts by fulfilling her long-cherished dream of skydiving in Dubai, proving that age is just a number when it comes to chasing thrills and pursuing dreams.

She made headlines in India when footage of her tandem skydive emerged, showing the spirited septuagenarian fearlessly leaping from a plane high above Dubai’s iconic skyline.

The sky-high feat occurred during one of her regular visits to see the family of her Indian expat son in the UAE, Aneesh P Jose. Since her husband’s passing six years ago, Leela has been visiting the UAE more frequently than when they both used to visit here together.

“I had only heard about people jumping out of planes… I didn’t know it was called skydiving,” Leela recalled while speaking to Gulf News from her home on Monday.

“Whenever I saw a plane flying overhead, I used to wonder how it was possible to jump from it. But I was enchanted by the idea.”

She first shared her darling dream during a casual chat with neighbours. “When a flight flew above us, brought up the topic and said I also wanted to do it. They all laughed and made fun of me,” she said.

However, Leela did not give up. During her next visit to Dubai, while the family watched a drone show near Ain Dubai, she brought up the subject with Aneesh, who works with a demolition company, and his wife Lintu, an Ayurveda doctor.

“What happened, do you want to do it?” her stunned son asked when she enquired about skydiving. “If you allow, I will,” she replied firmly.

Her daughter-in-law also encouraged her. “Ammachi (mother) wouldn’t say it unless she truly wanted to. Let her do it,” Lintu said.

Aneesh then contacted Skydive Dubai and took his mother there the very next day. “Initially, we were uncertain whether they would accept a 70-year-old participant,” said Leela.

When they arrived, some staff assumed Aneesh was the one planning to jump. “When the instructor, Ryan, realised it was me, he asked if I was sure,” Leela remembered.

"My age is not an issue. I want to jump," she said in Malayalam when asked on camera before heading to the plane.

The instructor checked her readiness repeatedly as she prepared for the jump. Despite language barriers, she reassured everyone by saying, “Good, good.”

“There were four youngsters in my batch to skydive, and I felt a little shy because they kept smiling at me.”

Leela boarded the aircraft first, followed by the youngsters and a cameraman.

Still, she remained determined. “I had this huge urge to jump, so I just kept quiet.”

When her turn came last, she hesitated briefly. “I looked down and couldn’t see the boys anymore. I was wondering how they disappeared so fast,” she said.

At the second signal from her instructor, Leela finally took the leap of faith and soon found herself soaring above Dubai’s magnificent landscape.

“Then I saw the sea. I thought if anything happens, I’ll jump into the water and swim, because I know swimming.”

The 13,000ft tandem dive included a freefall of nearly 7,000ft.

At around 6,000ft, when the parachute opened, Leela was treated to breathtaking views of the city. “It was a beautiful sight,” she recalled.

Her instructor pointed out landmarks such as the Palm Jumeirah and Burj Khalifa as they descended slowly through the sky. “It was an incredible experience,” she said.

“Though I don’t speak English, I understood his clear instructions and everything including touching down went smooth.”

Reflecting on her adventurous spirit, Leela said: “I am just a homemaker. My husband was a bank officer and a very nice person.”

Her late husband had always supported her curiosity for adventure, despite his own fears. “I have always been like this. During festivals in our village, I would go on all the rides. My husband used to fulfil my wishes though he wouldn’t try them himself because he was scared. Now, my son has taken up that role.”

This wasn’t her first thrill-seeking activity. She had previously tried ziplining in Wayanad and paragliding in Fujairah.

When Leela shared her skydiving story with the same neighbours who once mocked her dream, “they were stunned,” she laughed.

Her video quickly spread through the community and somehow reached the local media. “I don’t know how it got leaked. When TV reporters came later, I realised it was a big deal.”

With a philosophy of living life to the fullest, Leela remains optimistic about future adventures.

“I raised two children, and I have two grandchildren now. I have lived enough. Whatever I have from now on is a bonus. It is time to enjoy the rest of my life. There is nothing to be scared about.”

Her next dream? “I am ready to go to space. Why not? There is no age to dream,” she said, laughing.