Many individuals find the idea of skydiving too intimidating to even consider.
At the age of 20, Kim Knor became enamored with the sport and quickly became a devoted fan.
Six decades have passed, and she is still pursuing her passion. At the age of 85, Knor approached her 700th lifetime jump on Thursday in Fowlerville, just in time for World Skydiving Day on July 13th.
In 1959, Knor, hailing from Cadillac, Mich., made her first skydive by forging her parents’ signatures. Her passion for parachuting led her to sell all of her belongings and purchase a one-way plane ticket, allowing her to travel as a parachute enthusiast. Notably, in 1962, she became a part of the pioneering U.S. Women’s Parachute Team, etching her name in history.
In 2003, after taking a break to raise her children, Knor returned to jumping, which according to her, was a hiatus of 37 years.
She has finally resumed her journey to achieve her goal of getting her official Gold Wings for completing 1,000 skydives after the tragic loss of her husband. This was the same goal she had set for herself when she first started skydiving.
On Thursday, Michigan witnessed a series of exciting skydiving adventures, with one of them being performed by an exceptional skydiver. This talented individual will conclude her time in Michigan by taking one final dive in Grand Haven on Saturday, in honor of World Skydiving Day.
According to Knor, he isn’t one to lead a sedentary lifestyle. He doesn’t rely on a wheelchair, a rocking chair, or television to pass the time. Instead, he prefers to take more daring routes – such as skydiving. As he puts it, “I don’t sit around – I go out and jump out of airplanes.”
Knor aims to achieve the 1,000-jump milestone by next summer, with Thursday marking her 698th jump.
Knor believes that skydiving is an experience that everyone should have at least once in their lifetime.
Knor cautioned that the activity he was referring to was highly addictive, even more so than drugs or alcohol. He emphasized that once someone gets hooked on it, they will constantly crave for more and will want to do it again and again without any pause.
Knor, who is 85 years old, confidently states that she has ample time to earn her Gold Wings.
Knor expressed that he has around 18 to 20 years left and he intends to make the most out of it by enjoying his life. He even joked about writing a book about his experiences when he gets old.