UK Woman Receives Job Application Reply 48 Years After Applying for Stunt Rider Role

In an extraordinary turn of events, a 70-year-old woman from Lincolnshire, UK, finally received a response to a job application she sent nearly five decades ago. Tizi Hodson, who applied for a position as a motorcycle stunt rider in 1976, was astonished to receive a reply to her letter, which had been stuck behind a drawer at a post office for 48 years.

"Late delivery by Staines Post Office”

Hodson had always dreamed of becoming a stunt rider, and in her mid-20s, she sent an application to a stunt company. After hearing nothing back, she assumed she had been unsuccessful and moved on. However, in 2023, her long-lost letter resurfaced when the Staines Post Office staff discovered it during a renovation. The letter, along with a handwritten note, was sent back to Hodson with the message: "Late delivery by Staines Post Office. Found behind a drawer. Only about 50 years late."

The news came as a shock to Hodson, who now looks back on the situation with humour. “I always wondered why I never heard back about the job. Now I know why,” she told one of the leading portal. While she missed out on the opportunity to become a motorcycle stunt rider, her life turned out to be just as adventurous as she had hoped. Over the years, Hodson built an impressive career, taking on thrilling roles such as snake handler, horse whisperer, aerobatic pilot, and flying instructor. Her work took her all over the world, where she lived an exciting and unconventional life.

A Delayed Dream, But a Life of Adventure

Reflecting on her experiences, Hodson shared some advice she would give to her younger self: “If I could speak to my younger self, I would tell her to go and do everything I’ve done. I’ve had such a wonderful time in life, even if I have broken a few bones.” Despite the disappointment she felt at the time, Hodson's ambition never wavered. She remembers the day she sent the application vividly. “I remember very clearly sitting in my flat in London typing the letter. Every day I looked for my post, but there was nothing there, and I was so disappointed because I really, really, wanted to be a stunt rider on a motorcycle,” she said. At the time, she even went so far as to hide her gender in the letter, fearing that revealing she was a woman would lessen her chances of being considered for the job. “I even stupidly told them I didn’t mind how many bones I might break, as I was used to it,” she added.

Finding Her After Nearly 50 Years

Hodson was amazed not only by the return of her letter but also by the fact that it found its way to her after so many years, despite her having moved more than 50 times and lived in several countries. “How they found me when I’ve moved house 50-odd times, and even moved countries four or five times, is a mystery,” she said. While the story of the delayed letter is both amusing and remarkable, it highlights Hodson’s adventurous spirit. Although her initial dream of becoming a stunt rider didn’t come to fruition, her life took an exciting turn, allowing her to live out the thrills she had always wanted in a different way. The letter, arriving decades later, serves as a reminder of her persistence and daring personality, traits that ultimately shaped the extraordinary life she’s lived.