90-year-old zipliner inspires 82-year-old to overcome life-long fear of heights

As Toni Garrett takes tentative steps towards the start of the zip line, the 82-year-old is filled with fear.

“I’m afraid of heights,” Toni admits.

It’s a life-long fear that’s hindered Toni from experiencing the sorts of things that made others so happy.

“When my family went to Paris, I’m the one who stayed on the ground while the rest of them climbed the Eiffel Tower,” Toni laughs.

And Toni has never forgotten how it felt knowing her children were posing up there, while she was waiting alone down here.

“I thought If I don’t [confront the fear] now,” Toni says, “I’m never going to do it.”

So when she read about her retirement residence’s upcoming trip to Adrenaline Zipline, and saw pictures from last year’s excursion featuring 90-year-old Colleen Goossen, Toni was inspired.

“She looked so happy,” Toni says of Colleen’s beaming face. “It was marvellous!”

It was a high-flying adventure that Colleen had kept secret from her family.

“I texted them the photos after,” Colleen laughs. “And they said, ‘Grandma! What are you doing?!’”

Colleen says she was simply doing what you do when you intend to never act old.

“I can add years,” the almost 91-year-old says, “but I don’t plan to be old.”

Which inspired Toni to plan to go there, along with Colleen, and face her fear.

“It’s a little overwhelming,” Toni says before wrapping her arms around a tree trunk for comfort.

More than “a little,” actually. Toni says she was so overwhelmed being on platforms as high as 45 meters (150 feet) above the ground, and barely being able to see across chasms that spanned up to 300 meters (1000 feet), she was completely numb.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Toni says.

But after watching Colleen fly through the forest, Toni found the courage to do the same.

“It felt like holding my breath,” Toni says of stepping off the platform, “and jumping into deep water.”

But instead of being embraced by cooling liquid, Toni found herself being invigorated by rushing air, followed by a burst of euphoria.

“This is fantastic!” Toni smiles.

“I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life!” Toni exclaims after arriving safely and before spending the next two hours travelling across seven ziplines. “It was really good! I loved it!”

And if we can find pleasure in facing our fears, Toni says, we just may discover a whole new world of possibilities.

“I’m trying to figure it what to do next!” Toni laughs, before adding, “Short of skydiving!”