Nelson

Member Since June 2002

My Story
I just recently celebrated my 70th birthday, and celebrated by skydiving. Here is an article written in the local paper.
After kitting up, Lillian Visnoski was so nervous she had trouble getting her shoes back on. She*d wanted a pink suit for the occasion, but she had to settle for a white one. But at least her parachute was dark pink. Walking across the field to the plane at the Abbotsford Skydiving Centre on Gladwin Road on Sunday, Lillian couldn*t believe she was doing this. She was making good on a promise made 20 years ago to her son Rick. She swore she*d go skydiving with him for her 70th birthday. She*d wanted to do something special to mark the occasion, but now it didn*t seem like such a good idea. However, any thoughts of backing out were quashed when she found out her 17-year-old grandson Colton would be jumping as well. There were 10 people crammed in the plane as the door closed. *How are we all going to get out of here,* thought Lillian. Staff with the centre had told her people sometimes started crying before a jump. Looking at Colton seated in the plane, Lillian swore he wasn*t going to see his grandma being a little chicken.
The blood began pounding in her head as the plane ascended. Lillian*s instructor began hooking her up for their tandem dive, but she was only half aware of what was going on. She knew it was really happening when she saw Rick go out the exit door first. Suddenly she and her instructor were next, and Lillian didn*t really have time to resist. It was *push-push-push,* and suddenly they were out the door. As she dropped into the sky at more than 10,000 feet, all of Lillian*s fears evaporated. It was breathtaking, exhilarating, like being a bird. *I can*t believe I*m flying,* she thought. Becoming more nonchalant by the second, Lillian found herself blowing kisses at the camera man diving next to her. Suddenly there was a scary jerk as the chute opened, but Lillian regained her composure. However, any visions of making a grand landing for the crowd waiting for her on the ground below would be unfulfilled. *Oooh!* thought Lillian just before stumbling a bit and landing safely on her butt. Unscathed and ecstatic, Lillian spent the next couple of hours floating on an adrenaline cloud. She even tossed around ideas of jumping again with her daughters on their 50th birthdays. There are other options as well though, she told her kids. *Maybe, I*ll go whitewater rafting next time.*
Article reprinted from the Abbotsford News - (yes Lil made front page!!)

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