Free falling

Most of the time people are content with staying inside a plane.

But a dozen people decided to break with tradition and jumped into the sky above Thunder Bay during the weekend.

More than 15 people lined up to jump out of a plane during the final day of Adventure Skydiving on Saturday. Each person had a different reason to jump; some wanted to face their fears while others wanted to try something new.

No matter what the specific reason might be, everyone agreed that it was a once in a lifetime experience.

Kevin Cernjul had two reasons for jumping. The 24-year-old wanted to conquer his fear of heights as well as check off another items on his bucket list. The graphic designer had some previous experience parachuting after he did a sky jump in Las Vegas last February.

With that accomplished, he said he wanted to push himself even farther by going higher.

“This needed to get done,” Cernjul said. “I know the second that I get up in the plane and the door opens then it is going to go through my head ‘oh my God, I’m jumping out of a plane, a perfectly good plane that I shouldn’t be jumping out of.’ I’m terrified of heights.”

Ashley Poulter, 24, had a bit of a bumpy landing when she descended back down to Earth. She said the whole experience from going up into the plane to the 20-second free fall and parachuting down was amazing.

With her family cheering her on, she said she decided to try something new and always wanted to do skydiving.

“It was unreal,” Poulter said. “It was like nothing I’ve ever done before. Best experience ever. When you have to open the door you put your feet on the platform and the next thing you know you’re flying through the air.”

Holly Alexandruk, 24, said she wasn’t nervous until her feet went onto the platform outside of the plane.

Strapped to the instructor, she moved into position 11,000 feet up in the air and before she knew it, they were free falling in open sky.

She said the wind was so strong that she could hardly breathe but once her instructor pulled the cord to the parachute she caught catch her breath again and enjoyed the view.

“It was fantastic and a once and a lifetime experience,” Alexandruk said. "I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I wanted to do it five or six years ago but it fell through so I didn’t get the opportunity. My instructor asked me what my favourite moment was and I said the moment you pulled the parachute.”

Sheila Scott, spokeswoman for Adventure Skydiving, said people have different feelings when they are about to go into the plane from fear to excitement but once they land everyone has the same giddiness and smile on their face.

“We have been here for a week and there was only one day where we had to call people and reschedule,” Scott said.

“This is something you have to try to really understand. Some people probably do feel that way about why you are jumping out of a plane but it is one of those things that you have to decide if you are going to do it. Life is too short to stay on the ground.”