B.C. senior celebrates 80th birthday by in-line skating 350 kilometres in costume

Sonya Bardati celebrated her 80th birthday by skating from Port Hardy to Parksville on Vancouver Island over seven days — more than 350 kilometres.

“I’m not going to be a rocking chair granny!” Sonya recalls saying.

So she stared considering her life thus far.

“I want to dwell on the good things.”

Instead of dwelling on the tears that were shed while growing up in an orphanage, she recalled the smiles that were inspired there, while performing on roller skates.

“We did a show (that included moves like) circles, airplanes, and the finale was the split,” Soya remembers. “It was very nice.”

So Sonya decided to don a pair of in-line skates for her 80th birthday.

“It feels fabulous,” Sonya says, while blading down the street. “You feel like you’re in a cloud.”

But this was just the beginning.