Articles of the Month

Skydiving - Take the Plunge!

The thought of jumping out of a plane at 10,000 feet is enough to make anyone's heart beat faster. For some it is a concept never to be considered or experienced, while for others, it's a must.

Last year a friend of mine said she was interested in going skydiving. The thought of it was truly intriguing and spoke to my adventurous side. The summer of 2002 would be the time where I would face my fear. We decided to tandem jump. A tandem jump is when an instructor is literally strapped onto you for the fall. You go up 10,00 feet, free fall for 30 seconds and enjoy the canopy ride back to safety.

Friday, August 2 was the day of our jump. After a bout of bad weather, blue skies prevailed and the unsettling feeling of fear resounded. Was I insane? What is with my fascination with fear? I chickened out of going first and waited in eager anticipation for Sandra to land safely. She had an awesome experience and I was ready to go...

Climbing up 10,000 feet in a tiny propeller plane is quite the experience. It takes about 20 minutes to get to that altitude. I was calm, in control and looking forward to the jump. The moment we reached 10,000 feet, the plane door opened and within seconds, my foot was on a small ledge. Total and complete fear overtook my entire body. In the next moment, I was tumbling through the air and experiencing the most exhilarating sensation of my life. It felt like I was floating, but I was actually falling at about 125 mph. What struck me was the sheer loudness of the wind and the sudden disorientation from the fall - all of my senses were on fire! After dropping 5,000 feet, the chute opened and I stabilized. The canopy ride from that point was breathtaking. It was so quiet and calm - truly peaceful. Looking down from so high above was an experience in itself. Coming in for the landing, you quickly realize how fast you are going, but thankfully it was smooth.

I cannot begin to express what a mind blowing experience it was. This will definitely become a yearly experience. For anyone out there considering the jump... go for it. You will be left astonished, moved beyond words and ready to seek out the next challenge life has to offer you.