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skybytch

down's syndrome skydiver

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I like it, I like it very much.

2 quotes stand out.

Quote

"I like it because I have butterflies in my tummy," he says. "I like baseball, but it doesn't give me butterflies."

Even his family struggles to understand it.



I don't think he's alone :)
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Casey routinely reads his altimeter every few seconds now when falling madly and usually pulls the cord on Ayer's hip at 5,500 feet—right on time. After jumping, he begs his dad to go again. Mike usually laughs and tells Casey once is enough.


Sounds no different to us.

Not to derail the thread or anything, but has there been any licensed down syndrome (or similar) divers?)

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As far as the video goes I am surprised that no one filmed the jump for the news.
I know it was his 9th jump (or maybe they were there for his 8th) but it would make a better video if you could see him in the air instead of just falling away from the plane.

Very cool story, though. Expensive,too.
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As far as the video goes I am surprised that no one filmed the jump for the news.
I know it was his 9th jump (or maybe they were there for his 8th) but it would make a better video if you could see him in the air instead of just falling away from the plane.

Very cool story, though. Expensive,too.



Found a very well done video of Casey Deegan (with freefall footage) here: :)Learning to Fly.

A very nicely done piece. I had to chuckle at his answers...Very much the same thing -we- would reply with. :)
ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

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So was I, against my better judgement.

Unfortunately though, people with Down's syndrome tend to function at the level of (for instance) a five year old, at which 'age' they probably cannot be relied on to have developed the right judgement to deal with emergencies. I'm very afraid that no amount of tandems can prepare him for the real thing.
But I really hope I'm wrong and that Casey or someone like him will surprise me. :)

"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

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If you were an instructor, would you train him? No. Because you wouldn't know for certain he would be able to deal with problems properly, and if he died it would be blood on your hands.
Thats a cool article. They also had one on him in parachutist (maybe it was skydiving?) that was equally interesting and fun to read.

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I am glad to see that his story made the paper- my parents actually mentioned this to me the other day.

I was lucky enough to meet both of them last month at SDC. I am so happy to see this story, this truly is heartwarming and inspiring. :)
Amazing.

Best Girl Scout Ever.

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Casey is awesome, and his dad is too for being so supportive of his son's love for skydiving. Since SDC is my home dz, i've known the 2 of them since Mike (Casey's dad) started jumping a few years ago. There was a bit about him in parachutist before too. You really need to meet Casey in person to truly see how awesome he is. He fits in quite well to the skydiving community, all of us SDC regulars know him and love having him around. :)


___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

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Casey is awesome, and his dad is too for being so supportive of his son's love for skydiving.



Yeah, it's really cool to see him so excited about skydiving and being able to do it! Nice article! :)
There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

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I was honored to meet Casey in San Marcos a couple of months ago, what an awesome person! I was also able to do a couple of jumps with his Dad Mike, another amazing person. Mike told me "Watch who Casey is talking to, it's always a beautiful woman" It was cool, he would be talking to one girl then when you turned around he had moved to another sweetie! Very seldom saw him talking to a guy or less that beautiful woman.


PS: Don't let him have the car keys! ;)

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That's kinda what I'm saying, isn't it :)

Then again, 'never' is a very strong word and I am NOT an instructor and therefore hardly qualified to dismiss someone from our sport based solely on prejudice. Suitablility for the sport should be (and is) judged on an individual basis.
I do not even know Casey, so who am I to state that he cannot become a solo skydiver?
Hell, if my own instructors had thought like that, I would never have jumped in any way whatsoever....

"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

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I am NOT an instructor and therefore hardly qualified to dismiss someone from our sport based solely on prejudice



Must be interesting living in your watercolor wonderworld where noticing obvious limitations is a "prejudice."

Note: I hope you don't write an angry response to this message. You don't really know my socio-economic history or cultural vantage point. Dismissing my comments without adequate background would be judgmental and prejudicial, which would be really bad.
"Iþ ik qiþa izwis, ni andstandan allis þamma unseljin."

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Though I bow to your superior knowledge, I respectfully invite you to check out this link and see if your socio-economic history and cultural vantage point might be a bit on the narrow side...

recognising limitations is one thing, saying someone isn't fit for skydiving quite another.
"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

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your socio-economic history and cultural vantage point might be a bit on the narrow side...



I am sorry you saw fit to lob a personal attack at someone with a different cultural worldview. It is responses like this that give DZ.com its current reputation.

I wish you luck in combating your bigotry.
"Iþ ik qiþa izwis, ni andstandan allis þamma unseljin."

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Quote

I am NOT an instructor and therefore hardly qualified to dismiss someone from our sport based solely on prejudice



Must be interesting living in your watercolor wonderworld where noticing obvious limitations is a "prejudice."

Note: I hope you don't write an angry response to this message. You don't really know my socio-economic history or cultural vantage point. Dismissing my comments without adequate background would be judgmental and prejudicial, which would be really bad.


Do you have anything better to do than to constantly cast judgement on the people who post on this site?

Seriously, it is mind numbing. I don't think I have read one thing from you yet where you aren't trying to piss and moan about a specific poster, or the posters on dz.com as a whole.

We get it. Your post are more worthy that the rest of the posts on this site. Your opinions more well thought, and more noble. You sir are an internet hero, and real life god's gift to the world. :S:S:|

Get a fucking life!!!! :ph34r:
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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I read this story in the Chicago Tribune this weeksnd, and it was heartwarming. Congratulations to this young man and his instructors.

As an attorney, though, let me just toss out something for DZOs to think about. If it really is the case that people with Downs Syndrome have the intellectual ability of a child, how does that impact their legal capacity to sign a waiver? As we all know, children cannot legally sign waivers (which are basically contracts). I have not researched the law on this, but I suspect that waivers signed by individuals with Downs Syndrome may not be binding. If that is the case, DZOs are taking a huge risk by letting these folks skydive. A bad injury, or God forbid, a fatality, could result in a very costly lawsuit in which the waiver might not provide any protection. I would welcome the input of any other lawyers out there who might know more about this issue than me.

I don't mean to rain on the parade, though. This is a great, feel-good story that places a very positive light on our sport.

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