An 84-year-old woman based in Colorado has taken on new heights after skydiving nearly 600 times.
Kim Knorr started skydiving when she was 20 years old in 1959. In an interview with CBS Colorado, she revealed she first got started in the thrill-seeking activity after overhearing U.S. Army reservists talk about a skydiving club.
“They didn’t have any American team for the World Champions. They had men going but not women,” Knorr explained.
After joining the team, she began skydiving around the world and happened to meet her soon-to-be husband.
“When I got a job in Washington, the guy that defected my ‘chute in 1962 was from Yugoslavia and a friend of ours in Washington got us back together, and we got married in three months,” Knorr shared.
However, tragedy struck when her husband was badly injured while testing parachutes. After that, Knorr chose not to skydive again for 37 years. As time went on, her mind changed.
“My husband died and the kids were growing up and then the grandkids started coming and I started jumping again,” she told CBS Colorado.
Now, Knorr’s goal is to reach 1,000 jumps in her lifetime, and revealed she took her grandson along with her for the first time, which she described as “exciting.”
“I’m just following tradition of everyone in our family jumping with her for the first time,” Knorr’s grandson, John Norsen, said.
According to Medical News Today, “Health experts state that staying active can contribute to healthy aging in older adults.”
“California researchers found that physical activity of any intensity may lower the risk of death in women older than 60 years,” per the study.
Speaking on her age, Knorr said she doesn’t plan on slowing down.
“I feel fantastic! I mean, this is what I live for,” she shared. “Anytime life gets too difficult or too sad just go make a jump and then everything’s good!”
