SKY DIVE - Part 4: The (2nd) Most Awesome Experience of my Life

*READ Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE & Part 3 HERE

There are some things that are very difficult to put into words. I’m here to say that Skydiving is one of those things.

It is no simple task to capture all that transpires physically, mentally & emotionally, while falling through the clouds, and wrap it neatly into a package of coherent words and phrases.

Although, writing about the experience leading up to the point of no return flowed out of me as free as the fall, the moment between the jump and the landing has left me tight lipped. I have lots to say, but no clue how to say it.

I would say that my Skydive experience has left me speechless, but I can’t because, well…I just finished three short paragraphs describing how speechless my Skydive experience has left me. That may be “rambling”, but it’s not “speechless”.

Anyways, although I am tempted, knowing that a picture is worth a thousand words, to just let the following video and pictures do the talking…I won’t.

Question: What do you feel when you’re falling from a plane on purpose (“on purpose” being the key phrase)?
Answer: Peace

That’s right. Peace.

Now, while in the doorway of the plane, I was obviously hesitant about my decision to toss myself into the sky,

but once I jumped (whether I “jumped” or “was pushed” is a matter of semantics) and cleared the threshold…it was peace.

Contrary to popular belief (including my own) there was no fear. The whole experience was simply too surreal to feel fear.

Fear is what would arise if you fell out of a plane…unintentionally (whether by accident or attempted murder).

Fear is what you feel if it were Christmas and you were hanging outside a 30th floor window of the Nakatomi building knowing that your grip on the wrist of John McLane’s wife was about to broken as her watch strap became unclipped.






The interesting thing about Skydiving is that, despite the fact gravity is always doing its job and you are plummeting at a break-neck speed (I topped out at 235 km/h) towards the earth, never once do you feel like you are falling.

It really is like…you’re flying!

I experienced a breath-taking 6,000 foot, 39 second free fall. It was truly one of the most exciting moments in my life. Interestingly enough, my top two most exciting moments both took 39 seconds. The other one was almost 10 years ago on my honeymoon.

Once the chute was deployed, I went from flying to floating. At one point, Oleg (my tandem partner) and I were completely enveloped by a cloud. Nothing but white! It was absolutely beautiful.

As we passed through to the other side I could see for miles. Now, I fully understand that I live in a metric country, but saying “I could see for kilometres” sounds dumb. Anyways, the point is I could see far. In fact, I’m pretty sure I could see Sarah Palin’s house.

Now, having been on a plane, there was nothing new about being able to see such a great distance, but being able to spin 360 (which I did) and see the horizon all the way around…that’s cool!

I have no idea how long I was in the air. It felt like an eternity, but once I was on the ground it felt like a blur. The whole experience seemed unbelievable. I couldn’t believe I had just jumped out of a plane, and I couldn’t believe that it was over.

I hit the earth butt-first, with a very smooth “sitted” landing.

If it wasn’t for Oleg, who I was attached to, tapping me on my shoulder and telling me to get up (for his own comfort), I think I’d still be sitting in that field.

It was pure craziness…and I’d do it all again!

Enjoy the images. They are spectacular. But, please understand that no picture or video will ever truly capture the…

...Peace.

Thanks to Steve for sharing the experience with me!

Thanks to Oleg for getting me to the ground alive!

Thanks to Skydive Toronto for providing the entire experience with great video and pics!  Be sure and check them out. 

Have a good one,
Daring to Dream,
Timmy

SKY DIVE - Part 3: Yo Joe, Yoga and "Yo! What am I doing?!"

*READ Part 1 HERE or Part 2 HERE

Monday morning. It was overcast, but skydiveable. Steve and I arrived at the drop zone at 14:00 hours. I was in my GI JOE T-Shirt. You can call me Rip Cord.

While waiting for the sky to clear just a little bit more, we were introduced to our Tandem partners. Alex and Oleg.

On a wooden rig, Oleg showed us how we would be sitting in and exiting the plane. He then had us lie on the ground mats to practice our “arch”, which is a very important element of the exit procedure and proof that my regular Wii Fit Yoga routine is working.

In fact, I’m officially submitting a new stretch to the world of Yoga. I call it the “Tandem Sky Dive Exit Procedure”…or “Reverse Rainbow” for short.

With training over, it was time to get dressed. I was fitted for a blue jump suit and a 1930’s football helmet.

I was thinking that a modern day football helmet might provide more protection, but I guess if something went wrong and I hit the ground hard after falling from 12,000 feet…would any helmet make a difference? Probably not...So, it must just be for style.


The hangar was pretty relaxed until a man entered and yelled out something to the effect of “Autobots! Roll out!” With that, the room became alive with activity and in minutes we were heading to the plane.

The stroll to the plane made me feel like I was in Top Gun…only cooler.






However, inside the plane I felt like I was in…a sardine tin!

Actually, that’s not exactly a fair statement to make because there was plenty of space, but we were all pressed together so tight I felt guilty that I didn’t even know everyone’s name.


For the first few moments, there was a little chatter here and there, but once the plane started it’s take off it got pretty silent…except for the deafening noise of the roaring engine. Even from experienced jumpers there seemed to be a sober realization that in a few minutes…well…anything could happen.

With a cool altitude gauge on my wrist,


I was able to monitor the progress of our ascent and I will admit that during the climb I started to get a little nervous. I’m still not sure what brought on the apprehension. It could have been the realization that I knew this was only a one way ticket and I’d be, in a sense, walking home…or it could have been that the seams of the plane were lined with duct tape.

Then at 11,000 feet (exact measurement), the heart rate increased five-fold (an estimate at best), as everyone else, in an uncanny display of unison, began frantically adjusting their straps, goggles and helmets.

The side door was slid open, everyone began shifting forward. The next few seconds was the most intense moment of my life. It was absolutely wild! One by one people disappeared. Oleg, my tandem partner, began screaming last minute instructions into my ear as we edged closer and closer to the door. I could barely hear him as the engine noise was now being drowned out by the roar of the rushing wind.






There is no way to explain what it feels like to be leaning out of an airplane at 12,500 feet, overlooking clouds. I stumbled. Oleg leaned me back. And then…


Go To SKY DIVE - PART 4: The (2nd) Most Awesome Experience of my Life

Have a good one,
Dare 2 Dream,
Timmy

SKY DIVE - Part 2: A Storm, A Beard & The Devil

*READ Part 1 HERE

After years of putting it off, the time had finally arrived. I woke up with my heart filled with joy and the sky filled with…clouds! Dark, looming clouds! Are you kidding me?! It could have rained at any other point during the last 25 years, but no! The sky decides to empty itself of every drop of water it has accumulated on this particular day.

Isn’t that just the way it always is.

Noah: “You know what I’ve always wanted to do? Sky Dive!”
God: “Hey Noah, not so fast. You need to build an ark!”

100 years later

Noah: “Finally! The ark is finished. Sky Dive!”
Shem: “I think I just felt a rain drop.”
Noah: “Crap.”

On Saturday, June 12th, despite rain (and lots of it), my friend Steve and I drove up to Skydive Toronto, a drop zone just north of the city. We knew there was no chance of actually getting into the sky, but we decided to take the training and fill out the paperwork so that our next visit would be nothing but air.

Upon arrival we were ushered into a small viewing room to watch the safety & training video. It was informative…and immensely entertaining.

Our video instructor (who we figured, by virtue of the beard, was a brother of either the Idomo pitchman or one of the members of ZZ Top), began the process by telling us that we would die. It was very encouraging.

He then spent the next few minutes making sure that we were well aware of the fact that when we did die it would be absolutely futile for any person, past or present, to sue anyone, past or present, which had any direct or indirect connection to the fatal jump. He assured us that although some bereaving individuals have attempted to take their case to the courts, they ultimately failed. So don’t even bother!

With all the negatives out of the way, it was time to hear about what was sure to be the most exciting experience of our life…until we hit the ground.

Now, I will admit that it was very difficult to focus on the “training” aspects of the video when they were being conducted by a tall lanky man with short shorts and his beard tucked into his jump suit. I kept thinking that he may have been Amish, but then I thought, “Amish don’t fly!”...or do they?

Anyways, with the video segment over, it was on to the fun stuff. Paperwork! We took a seat and waited as two large forklifts, carrying our documents, appeared from the far reaches of the hangar. Every page was worded a little differently but basically each read as follows:

When I die…I won’t sue you.

Signature _________________

I think one of the documents stated that I would agree to give my soul to the devil, but there were so many pages, it really was just a blur. So…fingers crossed.

We paid, booked our next visit and then left…praying for the sun to shine on Monday!

Go To SKY DIVE - PART 3: Yo Joe, Yoga and “Yo! What am I doing?!”

Have a good one,

Dare 2 Dream,

Timmy

SKY DIVE - Part 1: Virgins, Grandfathers & Daring 2 Dream

Some time ago, I remember having a conversation with an airplane virgin. Please note that I didn’t say “virgin on an airplane”…that is a very different thing.

Definitions:

1. Air-plane Vir-gin (air-pleyn vur-jin) n.
A person who has never flown.
2. Virgin on an Airplane (vur-jin awn an air-pleyn) n.
An airplane passenger who has never had sex.

After I had shared about the joys of flying, the virgin, re-affirming their vow of airborne chastity, steadfastly declared “If God had meant humans to fly He would have given us wings.”

Well, yesterday God gave me Oleg…and I flew!



To celebrate his 65th Birthday, my late grandfather jumped from an airplane…and for the record, he isn’t “late” because of the jump. In fact, he lived to tell of his adventure for another 20 plus years. But, at the time, a pre-teen boy (namely me) was thoroughly impressed with his granddad’s amazing feat and the seeds of skydiving were firmly planted into this wonky brain of mine.

Finally, after 25 years of procrastifearination (procrastination driven by fear), I finally decided that it was now or never. I would, indeed, follow in my Granddad’s footsteps but as a younger man than he was. And hopefully, as did he, I would not only soar in the sky…I’d live to tell of it.

When I added “Sky Dive” (Dream #14) to my Dare2Dream list, back in January, it not only raised a few eyebrows, but very likely the hair on the necks of some. I have quickly discovered that the concept of tossing yourself out of an airplane (while in the air) is a very polarizing subject.

As my jump date approached, two very clearly defined camps emerged among my circle of friends:

The “Awesome I’m so jealous have a great time” Camp and,
The “Are you insane have you gone crazy I’d never do that in a million years even if I was forced to choose between jumping and facing a swarm of horse-sized brain eating jungle beetles” Camp.

Having since overcome my fear, taken the leap…and survived, let me address both camps:

“It was more than awesome, you should be extremely jealous and I had a double great time! I may be insane and crazy but skydiving is not as terrifying as it appears and even more awe-inspiring than you could ever imagine! Everyone should do it once…you will not regret it!”



Go To SKY DIVE - PART 2: A Storm, a Beard & The Devil

Dare 2 Dream,
Timmy

Training for a Marathon is a...Marathon!

I'm sitting with my right knee wrapped tightly in ice...and I feel real good!


Almost four months ago, on February 8, I began training for my first marathon. Now, immediately upon reading that, some of you are probably thinking, "Timmy just ran a marathon!" If that's describes you...you'd be wrong.

My marathon date is still set for July 18 at the Massey Friendly Marathon in...Massey.

Now, when I added "Run a Marathon" to my Dare2Dream list back in January, many people figured I had bitten off more than I could chew. A common question was, “Why don’t you run a half marathon?” My answer was simple.

"Nobody dreams of running a half marathon!"

Look, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I was excited…until I ran my first 6k. Then I was scared to death! Seriously, I’d only survived one-seventh of a marathon and I thought I was going to die. One-seventh! "This is crazy!" I thought, as I was dry heaving into the toilet.

But, on March 28, I cracked the quarter mark. In fact, I ran 10k twice that week and everything seemed to be progressing rather nicely.

On April 17, I circled my community three and a half times and celebrated with...ice. I was sore and tired but I had just logged 17 freakin' kilometres and was absolutely ecstatic! I was right on my training schedule and thinking the sky was the limit!

However, over the next month, due to various scheduling conflicts, I didn't run as much as I would have liked. Despite the slow down, I was still looking forward to my May 16 long run. It would be my first attempt at 21k (a half marathon) which, although not a “dream”, was definitely a big milestone.

The evening before the big day, I loaded up on carbs and got to bed early. The next morning I woke up, ate a light snack, grabbed my bottle of coconut water (a very refreshing drink, I must say) and headed off.

For the first 45 minutes everything seemed normal, until I started hearing my right knee whisper, over and over again, "I don't like this". I tried to ignore it, but at the 9k mark Knee screamed, "I'm done!"

I took one more step and quickly realized that a second step would see me lying on the sidewalk. I reluctantly (but wisely) stopped, turned around and slowly walked another 3k before hopping (literally) on a streetcar to take me home…devastated!

As I sat in my bed wrapped in more ice, I couldn't help but think that the dream to run a marathon was done. My cardio seemed strong and my muscles seemed loose, but maybe my knee simply couldn’t handle that much running.

Not willing to give up completely, I planned to give the knee some rest and try again in a weeks time. But, with my momentum (and, quite possibly, spirit) broken, one week quickly turned into two…and two weeks became 18 days.

This morning, I ran again. And believe me that’s a victory in itself, because I think I was starting to deliberately highjack the dream by delaying my restart. Anyways, after giving myself a swift kick in the pants, I headed down to the boardwalk with a plan to essentially start over. I would try to run 5k and then…see what happens.

When I set foot on the boardwalk, I took a deep breath, started my stopwatch and broke into a slow jog. Not knowing how long the boardwalk was, but having a rough idea of my regular running pace, I did some early calculations based on my clock and figured I would need to run it three times in order to reach the distance where my knee gave out last time.

Since I was feeling a little driven, I changed the plan from 5k to 9k and at some point between those distances, I changed the plan again. With a fresh burst of, “You Can Do It!” attitude I decided I was going to run until I couldn’t run anymore…or 21k, whichever came first.

Three lengths of the boardwalk. Four lengths. Five lengths.

As I began my 6th length, I said to myself, “A marathon is FAR! What am I thinking!?” Now, I don’t know if it’s a mind over body thing, but soon after that my knee started to speak up as well. But, I pressed forward determined to finish the length and I’ll be honest with you, the last 10-minutes were a fight…but I made it.

Three complete laps of the boardwalk. 2 hours 4 minutes 37 seconds.

I called the house to see if someone could start running a freezing cold bath and limped home. Outside, I looked beaten. Inside, I was…over the moon!

After soaking in the tub (which was VERY cold!), I stretched and went online to find out how far I had run. Depending on who you talk to, the boardwalk is either 3k or 3.5k end to end. That means that I ran a total of 18k or 21k.

I’ll find out for sure, but for now…it doesn’t really matter. I know for sure that I ran farther than I’ve ever run, and I ran it with a determination that I will admit is not apart of my regular make-up. That’s why this Dare2Dream journey is so important to me.

You see, in the past I always gave up when things got difficult. I always looked for the easy route. I always “hid my glove”. (See “Regrets? I Prefer "Life Lessons"). So, today, the ice pack is like a badge of honour and I wear it proudly.

Ultimately, my knee may never allow me to run the distance of a marathon but I have seven weeks and new found determination to find out.

Daring to Dream,
Timmy

Dare 2 Dream: The List (Updated)

Dare 2 Dream:
18 things to do before I’m 37

January 27 - July 20, 2010*DEADLINE EXTENDED!  THE DREAMIN' CONTINUES!

1. Perform “stand-up” on Letterman

2. Publish a book

3. Learn to drive a motorcycle *The bike I'm going to ride: Here

4. Be a contestant on Survivor *My audition video: Here

5. Bungee Jump
FULFILLED: July 7 (Read about it HERE)

6. Visit Sweden *Trip postponed...

7. Dance with Ellen Degeneres *My video request: Here

8. Attack my biggest fear
FULFILLED: May 1 (Read about it HERE)

9. Run a marathon
FULFILLED: July 18 (Read about it HERE) *See PRE Video: Here

10. Play one on one basketball with George Clooney

11. Raise $10,000 for Stillerstrong *$2563 to date. 
*Fundraising Vid HERE:
HELP build schools:
1) Host a show Here or
2) Donate below

12. Complete a coast to coast Canadian road trip *Travel dates to be announced later.

13. Lunch with Ben Stiller *My video invitation: Here

14. Sky Dive
FULFILLED: Jun. 14 (Read about it HERE)

15. Take batting practice with the Toronto Blue Jays

16. Learn an instrument (Drums) *Practicing to play a song with Jazz Unhinged

17. Secure a television deal

18. Go backstage at a Bon Jovi concert *Read my contest submission HERE

Some call it "Sheer Lunacy"...I call it "Daring to Dream!"