She is no little old lady from Pasadena. We doubt you’ve ever met a granny like this.
She puts young Steve Hartman to shame in tonight’s Assignment America.
About to fly across your screen from left to right, is a water skiing phenom. As you
can see, the girl is strong. She’s quick, and pretty much fearless. But what you can’t
see in the blur that is her wake, is that the girl is also on Social Security. In fact,
she’s 81 years old. “This is my ski.”
Before the skiing even, it is just amazing that you’re 81 years old and you put on
a bathing suit for television. “Well, what was I going to put on? Bloomers?
Ha ha ha.” Obviously, Gramma Walton, she ain’t. Her
name is Frances Woofenden, and about five days a week you’ll find her here showboating
across Lake Okeeheelee here in West Palm Beach Florida.
“After I ski, I feel euphoric. Up in the air. I love it.”
Believe it or not, she used to be a fairly typical Grandma. She never even tried skiing
until she was 50. Now she competes, has so many medals she can barely lug them all, and
is number one in her age group. “Who else is in your age group?”
“That’s the trouble right now. There aren’t many.”
“For eighty and over, you’re pretty much looking at the entire division right here.”
“Well, try it. Let’s have you try it just one time.”
Francis is starving for anyone to compete with.
“You’re not coming in until you try it.” I told her I hadn’t skied in twenty years.
I warned her this would not end well. And, sure enough, before I even got to the first
buoy… Laugh little lady. I still say I could whip you at shuffleboard.
I don’t mind getting beaten by a girl. It’s just that whole octogenarian thing that might
take me a little while to get over.