Age not slowing down elder Handley

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Age not slowing down elder Handley
December 04, 2006
The Fayette Tribune

At this year’s 27th annual Bridge Day™, Robert Handley became the oldest person to rappel off the New River Gorge Bridge. Handley, 78, is a member of the VBats Bridge Day rappel team.

Bridge Day is West Virginia’s largest one-day festival and also one of the top 100 festivals in North America.

Handley began caving and rope work in the 1940s. He has received the prestigious Lew Bicking award from the National Speleological Society, the only West Virginian to hold that honor. Lately, the West Virginia resident has been working with the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition to protect the Monongahela National Forest.

Handley says, “I won’t quit. I have a T-shirt from West Virginia Public Radio that says ‘God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things, and at this point in time, I am so far behind I’ll never die.’ That’s sort of my personal motto.”

Bridge Day rappel coordinator Benjy Simpson presented Handley with the New River Gorge Bridge Day Rappel Eagle award for being the oldest rappeller.

“May we all be as active as Bob when we reach our older years,” Simpson said.

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Rappelling a Handley family affair
Published: December 04, 2006 11:48 am
The Fayette Tribune

At this year’s Bridge Day™, Robert Handley, 78, Todd Handley, 41, and Meghan Handley, 14, all rappelled together off the New River Gorge Bridge. Robert hails from Renick, and Todd and Meghan live in Williamstown.

Robert is a member of the VBats rappel team, and Todd is a member of Extreme Rappels team.

Both Robert and Todd have been participating in Bridge Day for years. The younger Handley has been training with her dad and spent several days down at Whitesides Mountain in North Carolina in September. Whitesides is a 660’ rappel. Bridge Day rappel coordinator Benjy Simpson was at Whitesides to observe them.

Meghan says, “In 1999, I went to my first Bridge Day. I was only seven years old. When I looked up at the awesome structure above me and saw my dad on rope, I said out loud, ‘Some day, I’m gonna do that.’” Meghan goes on to say, “It’s really awesome to be able to rappel with my dad and grandpa. I wouldn’t want to do it any other way. They have both been so supportive and have always encouraged me to do my best.”

Simpson says that she has become the youngest to rappel off the New River Gorge Bridge.

“I grew up following my dad underground and then got into rappelling with caving friends,” said Todd Handley. “To be the one in the middle has its own twists; I get to see my dad continue to defy age and my daughter show her maturity. At a young age, she has shown the interest, set her goals and continued to advance her rope skills. She won’t let me go rappelling without her now. The Three Generation Rappel will be one that I cherish as long as I live.”

Robert offered the following comments: “One of the hardest things I’ve had to do as a parent was to let my boys go and do what they really wanted to do. I worried a lot for their safety. I taught them mainly by doing things with them and exposing them to my associates, hard core cavers who don’t let many obstacles stop them. Today, Todd is more skilled at rope work that I ever was. I cautioned Todd about pushing his daughter Meghan to do the Bridge Day rappel, but he said she was pushing him to let her do it. Meghan is well trained and definitely has the Handley spirit. I have a lot to be thankful for.”

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