86-year-old skydiver's quest for 1,000 jumps brings her to Georgia
The Brief
Kim Knor has been traveling the country at the age of 86 with the goal of reaching 1,000 skydives.
Knor earned a gold medal at the 1962 world championships and was inducted into the International Skydiving Hall of Fame in 2013.
Her latest was at Skydive Monroe in Georgia over the Memorial Day weekend.
MONROE, Ga. - A seasoned skydiver who has spent decades in the air is one step closer to accomplishing her goal of reaching 1,000 jumps.
Now 86 years old, Kim Knor has been visiting jump zones across the country.
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Her latest stop was at Skydive Monroe in Georgia over the Memorial Day weekend.
The backstory
In 1959, Knor took her first jump. By her 10th, she had caught the bug to skydive competitively. Though she's faced some physical setbacks, her love for soaring in the air just won't let her quit.
She earned a gold medal at the 1962 world championships and was inducted into the International Skydiving Hall of Fame in 2013.
Kim Knor wants to do 1,000 jumps and made a stop in Georgia to add one to her total. (FOX5)
Despite suffering a number of serious injuries and health scares over the years, Knor remains relentless in pursuing her goal of getting to the milestone, which would earn her gold wings from the U.S. Parachute Association.
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What we know
Last weekend's leap of faith at Skydive Monroe was Knor's 784th.
Cameras caught the moment she and her instructor launched into the sky for their tandem dive. Thankfully, they floated back down to earth safely for a smooth landing.
Kim Knor celebrated after landing safely (FOX5)
What they're saying
"When you're in the sky, you have to live in the moment," she said. "I don't care if you're flying an airplane or flying yourself like a bird, but you have to be 100% in the moment then. I like that. Don't have to worry about anything down here - anybody, any past, any future - just be in the moment."
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What's next
Jump zones across the country have donated dozens of sessions to Knor to help her get to 1,000.
She plans to one day write a book about her high-flying experiences.
The Source
FOX 5 producer Michael Addison reported this story from Monroe.
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