Wally Funk, the trailblazing American aviator who fought tirelessly for over six decades to defy gravity and earn her place among the stars, has passed away at 87. Funk's remarkable odyssey – spanning a staggering eight decades – has left an indelible mark on the world of aviation, cementing her status as one of its most accomplished pioneers.
Born Mary Wallace Funk in Las Vegas, New Mexico, she was smitten with flying from a young age. Dropping out of high school to pursue her passion, she enrolled at Stephens College and later Oklahoma State University, where she excelled in collegiate flying competitions. At 20, Funk became the US military's first female civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma – an impressive feat that laid the foundation for a storied career.
However, Funk's ambition to soar into space remained unfulfilled for decades. In 1960, she joined the 'Mercury 13' programme – a pioneering initiative that put women pilots through the same rigorous physical and psychological tests as their male counterparts in NASA's Mercury programme. Funk excelled in these trials, reportedly outperforming even John Glenn, but NASA's policy of only accepting military test pilots barred her from spaceflight, despite Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becoming the first woman in space just three years later.
Funk refused to be deterred by this setback. She continued to train and hone her skills, including zero-gravity weightless training in Russia in 2000. Her perseverance finally paid off in 2021 when, at 82, she joined Jeff Bezos on a sub-orbital flight aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft. This momentous journey made her the oldest person to fly into space at the time – a record later broken by William Shatner and Ed Dwight – but Funk remains the oldest woman to have achieved this feat. Her famous words, "When can I go again?" encapsulate the unwavering enthusiasm that defined her life.
Funk's remarkable legacy extends far beyond her own remarkable achievements. As a testament to her indomitable spirit and dedication to aviation, she has inspired countless women to pursue careers in STEM fields – leaving behind a lasting impact on British readers who have long followed her journey with fascination.