0
b_dog

What made you want to pursue skydiving?

Recommended Posts

Quote

I lost my son and I needed something extreme to help me cope. I found somehow skydiving helped me feel closer to him. Like I am nearer to heaven.



That is so awesome.....I didn't start jumping for the same reason, but when I jump, I sometimes think of my grandfather who passed last January, I know he would get a kick out of me skydiving.

But i started because i'm an adrenaline junkie and skydiving is right up my alley...:P
Puttin' some stank on it.

----Hellfish #707----

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
My sister was visiting from California (around my birthday)and she was going to get me a massage for my birthday. Somehow we got to talking about phobias and about how mine is claustrophobia. She asked me if I was afraid of heights and I thought for a moment before responding "no, not really." She asked me about roller coasters and rock climbing and then skydiving. I heard a voice say "I would love to skydive!" It took me a moment before I realized it was my voice!! So then she asks me "why don't I take you skydiving for your birthday instead of getting the massage?"

The next thing I knew we were both getting on a plane with our instructors! After that tandem I was never the same. Watched my video over and over, had countless skydiving dreams, and then decided that tendem would not be my last. I just did jump #7 the other day and I'm so glad I have continued with this. It has changed my life.
Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Saw "Dropzone", the greatest movie ever ;), when I was about 14. Left a big impression.
When I was 23 I met some guys that had just come back from the World Freefall Convention. I was very quiet and rarely talked to anyone but I talked to one of the guys for an hour and a half about it. I made my first jump about 6 months later after finishing a big project. I quit my profession and never looked back.
I was destined to be a skydiver.

http://www.skydiveatlanta.com
http://www.musiccityskydiving.com

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I've always loved flying. I actually wanted to go into the Navy and fly F-14s, but the eyesight is not too great. I thought long and hard about taking flying lessons, but couldn't afford it going through college. I wanted to get in the air somehow, someway. I started looking into skydiving before I graduated college, but I sat down with my dad and I made a promise to him that I would graduate before jumping. I graduated in December and turned around found someone locally that worked at a DZ and made my first tandem the following summer. I loved it. I started dating someone in the sport not long after I made my first tandem. I wasn't sure at the time if I was continuing because of him or for my own aspirations. Once our relationship ended, I came to the realization that I was doing it for me, so I got back into it. It's harder to get back into it or even start skydiving when you don't have friends and family that really support what you are doing. I got completely out of it in 2004 and then came back at the beginning of this year with a vengence and I'm so happy I did. This year has been a very rough year for me with my family and their illnesses and skydiving has helped me deal with that more, but also the friends I have made, I cannot put into words what each and every one of them mean to me. I know that I have made a bond with several that will last a lifetime.


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I lost my son and I needed something extreme to help me cope. I found somehow skydiving helped me feel closer to him. Like I am nearer to heaven.


I know exactly what you mean.
My reasons were not so different.
Ive always been involved with 'danger' sports, I used to do a lot of white water kayaking and I ride a race replica motorbike a lot faster than I should do. Skydiving was something Id often thought about.

The my wife got ill from cancer and after giving up pretty much everything and caring for her for almost 7 years she passed away.

It was a tough time after she passed away, and it dawned on me that life really IS too short not do do anything that seems like fun. You can wake up tomorow and something outside your control takes your life away.

So here I am in spain jumping my ass off and currently about to complete my FS1 course.

I almost always get on the sunset load if I can and Ive discovered diving into the sunset from 14000 feet puts me somewhere I cant explain. I swear that for the moment Im flying alone in the crimson red sky that she is there with me, and I know she is grinning as much as I am.
I dont know about being nearer to heaven, I cant honestly say Im religious, but for that moment, im definatly not alone.

I probably wouldnt have posted this but for Perplexiti's answer. Ive got a smile on my face knowing that there is at least someone else out there that understands how it makes me feel :)

Just for the record, I do have a new partner in my life now and life is GOOD. And its just getting better and better.

Nick :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Wow, I'm sitting here in tears right now. God Bless both of you! What an inspiration you two are for going on with your lives like that. You are right, It really is too short.

Best of luck in your jumping adventures (and life in general).
Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Ripcord TV show !!! loved those guys, and that cool Cessna 210, what a sound. Also Sky King, Sea Hunt and Whirlybirds. I got rated in all of those things. I think kids these days, including my own, missed out on adventures like those ( mine eventually did some of those since I had exposed them to the excitement.)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Well, Megadeth has been my favorite band since I was about 13. Long story short, they arent only my favorite band but have been a big inspiration to me in life and helped me deal with the hardest times. Even got to meet them once, very cool dudes! But anyways, I was looking up Megadeth videos and things of that nature, and I caught a special of them on MTV from back in 93? I think. They were going skydiving, which the frontman was very fond of. Watching them do it just seemed amazing, I knew from that moment it was something I HAD to do at some point in my life.

Fast forward a couple years, and my old college buds and I were going to meet up for our semiannual get together. Usually we just go out to the bar, but one of us lived about 5 mins up the road from a drop zone. So out of nowhere we decided to do it! I absolutely fell in love with it and cant wait to go again!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
When I was a kid it was all I could do to keep from jumping off of things (roofs, cliff, etc). I kept getting distracted with other things as I grew up, though. Then, sitting on the couch one fine summer day, the thought struck me, "Hey! I want to go skydiving!"

Feeling the need to share the event, I called a good friend and said, "Hey, I'm going skydiving. You want to come?" To my surprise, she thought about for about three seconds and said, "Sure."

The next weekend we were at Skydive Kansas City in the static line course. I got my B license and had to layoff because I went back to school. I'm out of school now and living in Denver. I miss jumping and I'm looking forward to getting back in air - my third "place"


...the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible.
- T.E. Lawrence

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0