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At 102, woman fulfills long-awaited dream with friends by crossing new international bridge

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Rita Georgeff, a 102-year-old resident of Windsor, Ontario, walked across the newly opened Gordie Howe International Bridge to Detroit with friends.
  • She had planned to make the crossing at 100, but construction delays postponed the trip by two years.
  • Other pedestrians congratulated her during the walk, which also connected her with a century of change along the Windsor-Detroit waterfront.

Rita Georgeff waited two years to complete a dream on her list of things to do. At 102, the Windsor, Ontario, resident walked across the newly opened Gordie Howe International Bridge, which connects the Canadian city with Detroit in the United States.

Georgeff turned 102 on August 28 and made the crossing on September 1. She had originally planned to walk over the bridge for her 100th birthday, but construction delays changed her plans. “Oh my God! I’m going to do it!” she exclaimed shortly after beginning the walk, which her friends helped organize.

Oh my God! I’m going to do it!

· Rita GeorgeffShe exclaimed after starting her walk across the bridge.

The bridge opened on July 27 after a two-year delay in construction, People reported. “I wanted to do this when I was 100 and I had to wait two years to do it,” Georgeff told CTV News. Asked whether the experience had been worth the wait, she replied, “Definitely.”

I wanted to do this when I was 100 and I had to wait two years to do it.

· Rita GeorgeffShe explained why the crossing fulfilled a long-delayed birthday goal.

Her friends had been waiting with her. Gail Bondy said the group had expected to accompany Georgeff two years earlier. “We’ve been waiting two years. It was planned for her 100th birthday. It got postponed, and then it got postponed again,” Bondy said, according to People.

Georgeff walked ahead of her companions for much of the route. Other pedestrians recognized her, wished her a happy birthday and approached to take photographs. Bondy praised her determination, saying Georgeff did not ask for help and told her friends to follow and be there if she hesitated.

Definitely.

· Rita GeorgeffShe answered when asked whether the experience had been worth the wait.

The crossing also carried personal meaning. Georgeff had seen major changes along the waterfront linking Windsor and Detroit. At age seven, she watched crowds gather around the Ambassador Bridge, which opened in 1929. She called the Gordie Howe International Bridge “a true feat of engineering” and said it had helped revitalize the Windsor area.

We’ve been waiting two years. It was planned for her 100th birthday. It got postponed, and then it got postponed again.

· Gail BondyGeorgeff’s friend described the delays before the group could accompany her.
About this summary

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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