A Mama's Journey Through Skydiving

In the beginning... there was a spark of idea and experience, of desire and doubt. I have always been one to try new things, to seek out adventure, to conquer challenges and fears, and to pursue my dreams. In the back of my mind, I think I always knew I would enjoy skydiving, but for whatever reasons of fate or timing, didn't get started until a rather interesting point in my life- as the single mother of a toddler. I am not here to defend the sport, nor my own situation, but I realize that is a unique time to decide one wants to start skydiving. I spent several months, as a thorough and slightly perfectionist-ic woman, thinking, reading, journaling, and playing around in my head with the notion that I too could be one of "them."

When I was about 15 years old, at my grandparents' 50th anniversary celebration/family reunion, a cousin of my mom's agreed (I am not sure what persuasive techniques I used to convince her, but never the less, she did agree to whatever was in store for us) to seek out an adventure with me. As I recall it, my first pursuit at that time was skydiving.

When I realized that my age, geography, or both would limit our ability to make this happen, we set up an appointment to go tandem para-sailing (both she and I under one parachute) as our plan B. It was amazing! While we were being towed, I obviously had no control over the direction or force of the canopy, nor any basic knowledge of what made this possible or why, I knew that I loved it- being so far above everything, feeling like I was flying, looking down on the world below.

I have always loved pushing life and my body to the limits- from amusement park rides, roller coasters, water skiing, "regular" skiing, to more "mundane" but equally rewarding pursuits like running, swimming, and yoga, the combination of excitement and adrenaline, and precision and self-improvement has always motivated me. Night after night, my dreams of flying may have had something to do with it too :) And my childhood home videos show me spinning in circles until I am so dizzy I can't walk straight. Clearly, there is something within me that skydiving taps into and works with, and it's like just the right combination for a stubborn lock,

After my son's first birthday, when my mental and physical energy finally caught up and I had even an inkling of some time for myself, I began to research the sport. I am not sure exactly what triggered it, other than the decision that, passing my son's first birthday, it was due time I took up a sport or hobby just for mama, and when I started telling my father and close friends I was going to go skydiving, they would just make smart remarks or give me "the look." The one I am used to receiving when I say something that may or may not be taken seriously, the one where I think the "looker" is praying I am not serious, and the receiver is laughing inside, about as serious as they can be without letting on.

It also coincided with my discovery that there were several USPA (United States Parachute Association, the organization that regulates and gives out ratings, along with the FAA, in the sport parachute industry) rated "drop zones," or sport parachute clubs, within an hour or two's drive from my home. A dream that had once seemed vague and futuristic now seemed incredibly plausible. After talking and thinking and reading for awhile, I made some calls and settled on a drop zone about an hour from home, and scheduled both my first tandem skydive (where you are hooked to an experienced and rated "Tandem Master" or "Tandem Instructor," who wears the actual parachute system and is responsible for keeping you stable, deploying the parachute, and controlling the steering and landing- although many will allow you to participate in aspects of this, if you make your intentions clear to them.

So, I made the call, asked some questions, and scheduled my first tandem for that weekend, on Easter Sunday, the first day of the season this drop zone was open for tandems, and asked them to put my name on the list for the First Jump Course (a six-ish hour course required to starting the AFF- Accelerated Freefall Program- required to start the track to an A license, which requires a minimum of 25 skydives with specific accomplishments and skills gained throughout). Leading up to the weekend, I can honestly say I was more excited than anything else. I also found a single friend (who, it so happens, had done a tandem there once before, so it was not really his first) who agreed to accompany me and do a tandem at the same time. From there on out- making the decision, scheduling the jump, and waiting, the hard part was over- for then!