Living life on the edge at 90 years old
Vicki Edney’s CN Tower adventure to raise money for the Fresh Air Fund stems from unfulfilled dream to go skydiving
When 90-year-old Vicki Edney stood on the edge of a platform 365 metres in the air, taking in Toronto’s skyline while leaning forward on strong rope supports, she knew she was on the verge of fulfilling a decades-old dream.
The dream originated in the ’70s, with a defiant attempt to prove that she could do anything her husband could do and more. Her husband had received his pilot’s licence, “so after we separated . . . I decided that if he could take flying lessons and pass . . . I could do it too!”
She enrolled in the lessons — and loved them. On one occasion, a pilot instructing Edney offered to take her up on a skydiving jump.
“I didn’t go because I had to get home and feed the kids and the animals, because I lived on a farm.”
She’s “kicked herself” ever since. When she turned 90 last December, she decided she’d waited long enough.
“I thought this is my last kick at the can! I thought I’d try it.”
That’s what brought Edney to the CN Tower EdgeWalk last week. Her family convinced her that the experience — traversing the exterior of Canada’s tallest building on a platform the width of a sidewalk — would be an exhilarating substitute to the riskier act of skydiving. The verdict? It was bliss. “You get to see the whole city,” Edney said, immediately following the walk. “All of the hotels and all the different shapes of the buildings, and the colours. Fabulous! I loved it.”
Edney’s latest adventure was particularly special because she used the opportunity to raise money for the Fresh Air Fund.
The Fresh Air Fund is a children’s charity that was founded by Joseph Atkinson, then publisher of the Toronto Star, in 1901. The fund aims to help 25,000 disadvantaged and special needs children attend one of more than 100 summer camps each year, where they build skills, friendships, and connections to the outdoors.
Edney, who said that her family is a longtime supporter of the charity, wants to support the Fresh Air Fund because “every cent goes towards the kids.”
She also knows firsthand the impact that going to camp can have on kids — when she was young, camp helped conquer her fear of swimming.
“I knew that if I just kept moving that I wouldn’t drown. I figured that out,” she said.
Confronting fears has been a theme in Edney’s life ever since, and her willingness to do so has brought her some of her most cherished memories. She’s travelled to Hawaii and Africa, and even went paintballing at the age of 80, for one of her sons’ birthdays.
Edney hopes that by raising money for Fresh Air, she will be able to help kids realize the joys of conquering fears, too. She has been collecting donations at the reception desk of the Roxborough Retirement Residence in Newmarket, where she lives, since July 1.
Edney’s efforts also inspire those around her. Ian Maxwell, general manager of the Roxborough, said that Edney’s project has been “a very powerful topic of conversation” among the seniors who live there.
“Someone who is a senior going and hanging over the edge of the CN Tower — that takes chutzpah,” he said. Daughter-in-law Carol Bates, and grandson John Collier went along for the EdgeWalk with Edney.
Bates and Collier both admitted to some level of apprehension about the walk (Bates said prior to going that she was afraid of heights, and Collier admitted that leaning back on the supports — the quintessential EdgeWalk photo moment — was scary at first).
But both were inspired to follow through by the courage of the woman they accompanied. “I think Vicki is a great role model to her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids,” Bates said.
Edney said she feels proud that her courage has been an inspiration to her family.
“I’ve always encouraged them to go out and conquer the world,” she said.
Goal: $650,000 To date: $509,992 How to donate: With your gift, the Fresh Air Fund can help send 25,000 disadvantaged and special needs children to camp. > By cheque: Mail to The Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund, One Yonge St., Toronto, ON M5E 1E6 > By credit card: Visa, MasterCard, AMEX or Discover, call 416-869-4847 > Online: For instant donations, use our secure form at: thestar.com/freshairfund