Up, up and away as Trudy, 103, takes to the sky

Lilydale aged care residents have ticked another item off their bucket list this week, taking to the sky in a hot air balloon over the Yarra Valley.

Residents Trudy (103), Noreen (93), Anne (87), and Lifestyle Services Coordinator Maureen set sail at sunrise on Friday morning and were met with beautiful weather, clear views and a smooth flying across the Valley in what was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

103-year-old Trudy said she was looking forward to ticking the item off her list of goals.

“You only live once and I have always wanted to do it,” she said.

Noreen agreed, saying “You must give things a go at any age. I haven’t done it before and it’s exciting and new!”

Anne said it is something she has wanted to do since she was a small child.

“A balloon landed in Box Hill just near my mother’s bungalow, so I have always wanted to go up in one,” she explained.

After the flight the ladies were treated like VIP’s, transported back to the winery for a champagne buffet breakfast.

The idea of a bucket list is not new, but for Lilydale Lifestyle Services Coordinator Maureen the idea of creating one for her residents has been met with resounding enthusiasm.

After suffering a major cancer scare in 2011, Maureen said she decided to get out there and try different things out of her comfort zone and wanted to do the same for her residents.

“I thought some of our residents could be empowered to do things they might have only dreamt of,” she said.

Maureen started asking residents for ideas, which have ranged from skydiving to a zoo sleepover.