Doris Long
She may be 95, but Doris Long isn't prepared for life to slow down just yet. 'Daring Doris' has become known for her incredible fundraising stunts and has broken two Guinness World Records to become the world's oldest abseiler.
Doris, who lost her first husband Frederick during the Second World War and has a daughter, Helen, as well as three grandchildren and six great grandchildren, has always been a keen charity supporter.
As a young woman, she organised fundraising shows featuring her performing dog Roger, and even entertained a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne at a children's party. Doris also ran an animal sanctuary for 20 years, receiving an MBE in 1984 for her work. Her passion for abseiling was sparked in 1999, when she was 85. During a stay in a holiday village near her home on Hayling Island, Hampshire, she saw an abseiling wall and decided it looked like fun.
Her second husband, Sydney, was with her at the time and watched with disbelief and amusement as she made her tentative descent. "I'm only 5ft tall, but I wasn't intimidated by the 60ft drop," she says. "I relished the challenge." After that, her love for the sport grew and she now performs two or three abseils a year, always drawing crowds of spectators.
Her stunts have raised over £15,000 for local Portsmouth charities including The Rowans Hospice, Hampshire Association For The Care Of The Blind and the Queen Alexandra Hospital. "I never get scared," Doris insists. "And I'm proud that my stunts challenge misconceptions about old age." Friends say her vitality and glamorous appearance – she sports immaculate make-up and hair for every descent – mean she looks two decades younger.
Sadly, Sydney died two years ago but Doris – who loves to write poetry and takes in injured animals – continues to enjoy life, attributing her good health to being teetotal, a non-smoker and always eating well. To date, she has completed 16 abseils. In May this year, she descended 70ft down Portsmouth's Civic Offices. She first got herself in The Guinness Book Of Records three years ago when, at the age of 92, she abseiled a staggering 220ft down Portsmouth's highest tower block, Millgate House.
The Lord Mayor, Councillor Terry Hall, said, "I would rather walk 1,000 miles than do that. I have total admiration for her." Ali George, Events Fundraiser for The Rowans Hospice adds, "To me, Doris is an illustration of what can be achieved by just one person, irrespective of age." Yet Doris remains modest. "I'm just an ordinary person," she insists. ''And I don't intend to stop abseiling. In fact, I want to carry on until I'm 100."