97-Year-Old Woman Proves ‘Can’t’ Isn’t in Her Vocabulary With Record-Breaking Wing Walk

A 97-year-old woman proves ‘can’t’ isn’t in her vocabulary with a record-breaking wing walk. I want to be Betty Bromage when I am 97, and after reading about what she did, you will too! You may not necessarily want to be strapped to the wing of an airplane as it loops through the sky, although I have learned never to say never. I want her courage. I want her determination. Most of all, I want her refusal to believe that growing older means becoming less alive.

97-Year-Old Takes to the Skies for Another Wing Walk

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Betty, from Cheltenham, England, began wing walking at 87. So as the story goes, she climbed 15 feet onto the wing of a biplane, strapped herself in, and took flight for the sixth time. At 97, she broke her own Guinness World Record as the oldest female wing walker.

“I’d just get bored of life otherwise,” Betty said. “I want to do the things I can do.” Those words are exactly why I love getting older. The older generation keeps reminding us that age may change our bodies, but it does not have to diminish our sense of wonder. We are still allowed to dream wildly and discover new versions of ourselves.

Record-Breaking Flight Raises Money for a Special Cause

Betty’s latest flight carried an even deeper purpose. She raised money for Cheltenham General Hospital, where she received care after suffering a stroke in August 2025. The stroke affected some of her words, she said, but “the rest of me is fine.”

To break the record, Betty needed to remain in the air for at least five minutes, including takeoff and landing. She did that while the aircraft soared through the sky, even completing a loop. Her review afterward? “Great, bit bumpy, but it was great,” she said. 

Betty’s philosophy is beautifully simple: Remove “can’t” from your vocabulary. “At 97, what have you got to be afraid of?” she asked. Maybe the generations ahead of us are not showing us how to grow old. Maybe they are teaching us how to remain young at heart. They are reminding us that courage does not have an expiration date and that we can still become whoever we decide to be.

So yes, I want to be Betty at 97. Still chasing the next adventure, still doing some good while I’m here and still looking toward the sky as if getting older were never a reason to stop flying. 

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“They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.” Psalm 92:14

WATCH: 97-Year-Old Woman Proves ‘Can’t’ Isn’t in Her Vocabulary With Record-Breaking Wing Walk 

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Heather Riggleman is a believer, wife, mom, author, social media consultant, and full-time writer. She lives in Minden, Nebraska with her kids, high school sweetheart, and three cats who are her entourage around the homestead. She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. She is full of grace and grit, raw honesty, and truly believes tacos can solve just about any situation. You can find her on GodUpdates, iBelieve, Crosswalk, Hello Darling, Focus On The Family, and in Brio Magazine. Connect with her at www.HeatherRiggleman.com or on Facebook.