Okanagan senior parasails for 95th birthday – Okanagan

Lee Prunkl is starting her 95th year on a high note.

The Kelowna, B.C., resident is parasailing through her golden years, gaining a fresh perspective of the city she has called home most of her life.

“Every day is a big surprise at my age,” said Prunkl.

Prunkl moved to Kelowna in 1938 from Yugoslavia with her family and travelled around the city by horse and buggy. It’s a long way from the motorboat she and her nephew Troy Manchur are sailing from today.

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This isn’t the first time Prunkl has defied gravity, as she took to the skies two years ago, and has been talking about her time parasailing every since.

“Just the thrill of it all, just going up and watching Kelowna down below,” said Prunkl.

Her nephew, Troy Manchur, accompanies her on the voyage for his first parasailing experience.

“I know [Prunkl] enjoyed it last time she did it, so i thought what a great way to celebrate your 95th birthday,” said Manchur.

The 95-year-old is not the oldest person to set sail with Okanagan Parasailing but she is rather close.

“We have had a lot of seniors come and parasail with us, we had a 100-year-old man come for his birthday in the spring this year,” said Okanagan Parasail manager, Krystal Wittmer

Wittmer says the magic of parasailing is that anyone four years old and up can go out and get a birds-eye view of the Okanagan.

As for Manchur and Prunkl, they will always have fond memories of their time flying over Kelowna.