Age no barrier for 93-year-old jet skier

Published on 30 June 2026

At 93 years young, Mrs Dolores (Lola) Gonzalez is proving age is no barrier to adventure, recently taking to the sea on a jet ski from the O’Sullivan Beach boat ramp.

Lola has been receiving in-home support services from Resthaven for the past 2 years, enabling her to continue living independently in her own home.

Through a comprehensive range of services, including personal care, home maintenance, physiotherapy, cleaning, and gardening, Lola is able to manage her daily routine with confidence.

She regularly participates in social activities such as bingo sessions – which she goes to with the City of Onkaparinga’s Community Transport team’s help – and group lunches, which she jokingly refers to as outings ‘with the oldies’.

More recently, Lola has reconnected with her cultural heritage by attending her local Spanish Club, where she enjoys conversation in her native language and building new social connections.

However, it was a recent family outing that truly highlighted Lola’s adventurous spirit.

Encouraged by her son-in-law, Andrew, Lola agreed to try jet skiing for the first time. With assistance from Andrew and her granddaughter, Amaya, Lola was safely launched from O’Sullivan’s Beach on a calm, sunny day.

The trio cruised along the coastline toward Hallett Cove, where Lola spotted seals in the wild for the first time. When asked if she wanted to go faster, Lola responded without hesitation: “Alright!”.

After a brief increase in speed, she quickly requested another go.

“One more time,” Lola said.

Following the ride, Lola even took a second spin with her granddaughter, though she reportedly found the pace slightly too cautious.

Back on shore, Lola was thrilled reviewing photos and videos of the experience and was eager to share the moment with others.

Lola’s story shows that with the right support and a willingness to try new things, age need not limit adventure!