((PKG)) TRAPEZE ARTIST
((Banner: Flying High))
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Map: Escondido, California))
((NATS))
((Betty Goedhart, 86-year-old Trapeze Artist))
When I was a little girl, my dad and mom took me to a circus
and there was a girl, the girls were flying and I just thought,
“Oh, that must be so wonderful! Some day I want to do that!”
So, I mentioned it at this dinner party. So, when my 78th
birthday came, this friend of mine brought me a ticket to go
to Dave’s “Trapeze High school”.
((NATS))
((Betty Goedhart, 86-year-old Trapeze Artist))
I loved it. I loved it. I was scared. Everybody is scared. I
mean it’s normal to be scared because it’s out of your
comfort zone. But oh, that’s kind of a wonderful feeling! So, I
just started coming lots and Dave was very kind to me.
((NATS))
((Dave Ayers, Trapeze Instructor))
You know, she’s strong and she listens and all of that, but
she is still older than dirt. So, I was really cautious letting
her do something new, not let her just go off and get excited
and do her thing because she comes and she is excited and
she wants to do it some more, you know. We have to
ameliorate her excitement so she doesn’t hurt herself.
((NATS))
((Betty Goedhart, 86-year-old Trapeze Artist))
Okay, honey. I started skating when I was eight years old. I
was with an ice show, “Holiday on Ice” for 50-some years.
When I was living in England, I was riding a horse and my
life became involved with polo. I was on a man’s team and
there were no other, at my time, there were not a lot of
women. So, I had to prove myself as a woman that I worked
hard and that they wanted me. I moved here. My husband
died. I went through a very depressed couple of years. And
then I met this great, young guy and then he was a rock
climber. So, he said, “Have you ever done that?” And I, no, I
hadn’t. So, we became partners in rock climbing and we did
big stuff. And it’s really true that it does help. It just gets
your brain thinking of about what you’re doing instead of
where you are. I just was sad. I was just sad that I no
longer had what I had. But I am doing something that is kind
of fun, kind of impossible, kind of out of my comfort zone.
But at the end of the day, I could sleep. And I am doing the
impossible. I am flying on that trapeze and I never, in a
million years, did I think that I would be able to do what I am
doing there. I am flying. I am no different than anybody
else. I’ve been blessed with good health, but I am hoping
though that people see me and say, “Well, why can’t I do
that if she did it?”
((Popup Banner: Goedhart holds the Guinness World
Record for oldest performing flying trapeze artist.))
((Banner: Flying High))
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Map: Escondido, California))
((NATS))
((Betty Goedhart, 86-year-old Trapeze Artist))
When I was a little girl, my dad and mom took me to a circus
and there was a girl, the girls were flying and I just thought,
“Oh, that must be so wonderful! Some day I want to do that!”
So, I mentioned it at this dinner party. So, when my 78th
birthday came, this friend of mine brought me a ticket to go
to Dave’s “Trapeze High school”.
((NATS))
((Betty Goedhart, 86-year-old Trapeze Artist))
I loved it. I loved it. I was scared. Everybody is scared. I
mean it’s normal to be scared because it’s out of your
comfort zone. But oh, that’s kind of a wonderful feeling! So, I
just started coming lots and Dave was very kind to me.
((NATS))
((Dave Ayers, Trapeze Instructor))
You know, she’s strong and she listens and all of that, but
she is still older than dirt. So, I was really cautious letting
her do something new, not let her just go off and get excited
and do her thing because she comes and she is excited and
she wants to do it some more, you know. We have to
ameliorate her excitement so she doesn’t hurt herself.
((NATS))
((Betty Goedhart, 86-year-old Trapeze Artist))
Okay, honey. I started skating when I was eight years old. I
was with an ice show, “Holiday on Ice” for 50-some years.
When I was living in England, I was riding a horse and my
life became involved with polo. I was on a man’s team and
there were no other, at my time, there were not a lot of
women. So, I had to prove myself as a woman that I worked
hard and that they wanted me. I moved here. My husband
died. I went through a very depressed couple of years. And
then I met this great, young guy and then he was a rock
climber. So, he said, “Have you ever done that?” And I, no, I
hadn’t. So, we became partners in rock climbing and we did
big stuff. And it’s really true that it does help. It just gets
your brain thinking of about what you’re doing instead of
where you are. I just was sad. I was just sad that I no
longer had what I had. But I am doing something that is kind
of fun, kind of impossible, kind of out of my comfort zone.
But at the end of the day, I could sleep. And I am doing the
impossible. I am flying on that trapeze and I never, in a
million years, did I think that I would be able to do what I am
doing there. I am flying. I am no different than anybody
else. I’ve been blessed with good health, but I am hoping
though that people see me and say, “Well, why can’t I do
that if she did it?”
((Popup Banner: Goedhart holds the Guinness World
Record for oldest performing flying trapeze artist.))
