Blog: Stories & Insights

On Friday, September 23rd, I experienced one of life's greatest thrills and went skydiving for the first time! I didn't go alone either; I brought someone that I barely knew at the time. I met Joe at the CYP Summer Social at KDB in Easton over drinks at the bar and eventually shared a table with him & other members at the event. The next time I saw Joe was a few weeks later at the Member Meet and Greet Event at World of Beer in Easton. I didn't get to spend much time with him because we were at different tables, so it might come as a bit of a shock that we ended up going skydiving together.

When I texted Joe that Monday about the idea, I didn't think he would be interested in doing something so crazy or that we'd actually end up going just four days later. We made plans to hang out sometime, but it was to join me on the court or get drinks. Skydiving was never in that conversation, but it was something I wanted to do for the last five years. I couldn't go for several reasons, but that wasn't going to stop my #InspireThriveSurvive mentality. After all, I just achieved one of my lifelong dreams of releasing my debut album and even beat cancer two years ago. I had yet to do anything crazy, and nothing was going to stop me from jumping this time!

Early that Friday afternoon, I left Columbus and drove an hour and a half to Warren County. I met Joe a little after 3 pm in the parking lot of the airfield, and we had some time to kill, so we got a tour of the airfield by our driver, Scott. Joe and I soaked in the scenery, and the historical event made us more pumped up for the jump. Scott took us on a short drive to a hangar where we got trained and suited up, and finally, as the sun was about to set, it was time to take the leap.

Once our plane passed a few quick tests, it was time to board. The plane was the smallest I've ever been on, just enough room for five or six people. However, I wasn't even thinking about that when we started to ascend into the air; I wasn't thinking about how lucky I am to be alive, or of my fear of heights. I was full of adrenaline, so all I could think was, "I'm ready to jump already!"

Around 10,500 feet in the air, the plane's door opened, and the first jumper signaled to the pilot and made their jump as fist bumps & high fives were passed among the rest of the passengers in the plane. The next two jumpers followed the procedure and soared through the air, then my turn! Scott, our driver, was my tandem buddy, so he positioned himself on the steps, gave the thumbs-up signal, and here we go! We barrel-rolled out of the pplane and started to descend at a very fast speed. The free fall was the best part; I felt like I was going through a giant wind tunnel. At one point, I posed like Superman and smiled for the hand cam. Around 6,000 feet, I pulled the cord to activate the parachute. Scott gave me a thumbs up, and we started to slow down. I felt like I was parasailing as I steered us towards the drop point. We got a nice view of the sunset and the earth, and I took a moment to admire the beauty of being at 3,000 feet with nothing but trees and houses beneath me. Before I knew it, I got into landing position and slid into the wet grass. I was in shock, so I sat there for a minute and looked around. I completed the #Jump4TheJames! Scott congratulated me with a fist bump.

When I got to the area where everyone else was, I was asked to do a quick interview. I didn't need a script because it all came from the heart. Joe and I just did something incredible, and I wanted the world to hear about it! The next time you are sitting next to someone at a table for a CYP member's event, you might just make a new friend or find someone to embark on your next adventure with.