Who inspired you?

[mofo554 0]

It's been a while since I've posted, and even longer since I've jumped - damn Michigan weather....

Anyways, I was thinking the other day about people who have personally inspired me to excel in the sport of skydiving.

Specifically, I would like to thank Mike Reed at Skydive Tecumseh, who, after a few bad jumps gave me some simple, yet perfect, advice. He pulled me aside and said, "Not every jump will go as planned, and that's okay. Learn from every mistake, every success, and every jump. Above all, remember why you're doing this - for fun!"

There are a number of others (Marty, Ron and Brenda at Napoleon, to name a few) who have inspired me as well, but Mike's quote has really stuck in my head. Anyways, who has inspired you? Why? How?



YEEEEE!

[MarkM 0]

Watching Rob Harris sky surf really got me interested in the sport beyond my first jump. Seeing vids of the experienced people in this sport keeps motivating me to push myself to learn new skills and improve myself.

For example I once saw a vid of Phreezone doing a track and it was one of the coolest things I'd seen, just the way he did it so naturally, so for the next 10 or so jumps all I did was practice tracking.

[Vertifly 0]

Mike Swanson.

First coach jump with him at about 100 jumps about six years ago. This would be the first time I flew with someone who really knew what they were doing. The visual impression that I got from my first coach jumps probably has a lot to do with my interest in freefly. The dude has been moving like magic since I've been around. Damn!!

[crwmike 0]

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It's been a while since I've posted, and even longer since I've jumped - damn Michigan weather....

Anyways, I was thinking the other day about people who have personally inspired me to excel in the sport of skydiving.

Specifically, I would like to thank Mike Reed at Skydive Tecumseh, who, after a few bad jumps gave me some simple, yet perfect, advice. He pulled me aside and said, "Not every jump will go as planned, and that's okay. Learn from every mistake, every success, and every jump. Above all, remember why you're doing this - for fun!"

There are a number of others (Marty, Ron and Brenda at Napoleon, to name a few) who have inspired me as well, but Mike's quote has really stuck in my head. Anyways, who has inspired you? Why? How?

YEEEEE!

Inspired me to excel? Nobody ... apparently :)

Inspired me to enjoy the peaceful beauty, to love and respect skydiving ...ah, so many.

Michael

[mathias 0]

Katti Bauer, Finja, Tommy Jensen, Glenn Johannesson, Wacke, Niclas, Peter Linders, Per Svensson, Percy, Richard......probably a few more that I just can't remember.

Ingen minns en fegis!

[GravityGirl 0]

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Katti Bauer, Finja, Tommy Jensen, Glenn Johannesson, Wacke, Niclas, Peter Linders, Per Svensson, Percy, Richard......probably a few more that I just can't remember.

What about me?!?!?! Don't I inspire you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace and Blue Skies!
Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

[mathias 0]

You do Inspire me, but it kinda gets canceled out by all the shit You give me to.?!?!

Ingen minns en fegis!

[windcatcher 0]

My ex boyfriend inspired me to try freeflying...which I am not quite there yet, but that is my discipline of choice. I want to dance in the air with him sometime!

S.C.

Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

[slug 1]

Hi Mofo


Kind of embarresed (sp) to say this with the present world situation. But my country.

Flying on C-130's at 300' with the ramp down and wearing a high altitude rig with a blast handle in case we fell out inspired me to really learn what to do just in case.

R.I.P. (DZ name)

[riggerrob 643]

Bob Sinclair from the old "Ripcord" TV series back in the 1960s.

[beej 0]

The old Welsh guy, Eric Jones in the BBC award winning documentary 'The man who fell to earth'.

----------------------------------------------------
If the shit fits - wear it (blues brothers)--

[Stacy 0]

SO many people. Mark Kruse, Doug Forth, John Eddowes, Doug Park, Boxman, Roger Ponce, all the old timers who took time to actually jump with me when I didn't know my hackey from a hole in the ground, the Jetstream guys, Stuey (simply for teaching me to have fun )...

__

[alanab 0]

cara, lew, sarah c., greg, omar, jc, bill cole. lots of people. i think everyone inspires me a little in their own way. i meet people every time i go to a dz and each person i meet has something to say that inspires me more!

[Damion 0]

my uncle Johnny "Luv" Horton, "its not us against them, because we are all us"

also Alex Allen from Perris, CA. He has been the most patient with me.

[ccowden 0]

I have looked up to many through the years, but the first true inspiration I had to become a better person in this sport came from Missy Nelson, Jen Key and Amy Chmelecki. They made me see that there was much, much more to this sport than just the jumps. It was there humble approach without even knowing they inspired me that touched me so much.

Since then, I have been inspired by a number of others whom I have met along the way. I would try to list them, but I would hate to miss someone. You know who you are. Thank you!

[WrongWay 0]

Man, there are so many it's ridiculous.

Jim & Lee West for teaching me what a sense of family was, on and off the dz. Jon and Luis for showing me that it doesn't take 1000 jumps to be a national champion or a world record holder, just a lot of hard work and determination. All the Cajun Chickens for teaching me to smile in freefall, that freefly is about fun and beauty, and for giving me friendship through everything. TJ, Cisco, Luis, Paul, Jon, Paulie, Bill, Mike, Jeff, Todd, Steve, and anybody else who has helped me through coaching, for not only teaching me to fly, but for showing me how to give back by helping others, and push them toward their goals as you push me towards mine.

Thanks everybody.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[lewmonst 0]

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cara, lew, sarah c., greg, omar, jc, bill cole. lots of people. i think everyone inspires me a little in their own way. i meet people every time i go to a dz and each person i meet has something to say that inspires me more!

Thanks Alana! You rock. I still owe you a couple jumps!!!

As for me, I don't know who it was, and I don't even remember where it was (xkeys or richmond) when I had maybe only 20 jumps, and I saw a camera flyer sitting by the door of the otter. I remember looking at him and thinking "that's what I want to do".

Then at the Richmond Boogie I met Mike McGowan, and I talked to him about his cameras... I told him I would do that. Mike has definately been inspiring. He has a unique style. I can look at a photograph and tell if it's his.

I've also gotten to know Tom and Norm and Greg Gasson, and am inspired by them, to name a few...

peace
lew

http://www.exitshot.com

[karrigirl 0]

after some years of saying I wanted to try skydiving... FLYINCHICKEN was the girl who hooked me up! She was great! Answering all my silly questions, supporting me through PFF... exiting before me when she could... always checkin in. That support carried me and inspired me to do it. (and Scott's Instruction)
.... Then there was the tree incident, 4 hours of hanging there saying "oh God get me out of here and I'll never skydive again"... it was my non-skydiving friends who inspired me to go back... and Im glad they did.
... and THE PINK MAFIA who inspired me to travel this winter (even though it got rained out)
.... Now I would have to say it's all the natural flyer's (to many to mention).... that glide with beauty, grace, and fun.
... and Thanx to all the DZ.commer's, your comments lets the beat go on....

The mighty ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt. Even so, the true way has but one savor, the savor of freedom.

[cmchristian 0]

Inspirations are always rather interesting stories. What inspired me in skydiving was my old college buddy Scott. The summer after our Freshman year, Scott and I were in Tenn. Low and behold just driving around we came to the Pigeon Forge Wind Tunnel. Never in my life did I think I would ever want to skydive, however after struggling in the tunnel for a bit, I was hooked. I could not get enough of looking up skydiving stuff. All I could dream about was getting to skydive. Nearly a year later my dream came true.

Nowadays, it is all the different people that you meet that keep me inspired. Whenever I think I am getting bored with skydiving, I just travel to another DZ and all those original feeling come flowing right back. Thanks to all those people I have met at new DZs around (Skydive Temple, Skydive San Marcos, Skydive Aggieland, Spaceland, Greene County Sport Parachute Club, Skydive Atlanta, Atlanta Skydiving Center, and all the other cool places I have yet to go) you are the ones that keep inspiring me with your spirit and enthusiasm.

Blue skies to all
Chris

Chris
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"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body; but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting 'Holy s#$* what a ride!'"