Grandma, 86, Marks Her 1,000th Skydive While Joined by 3 Generations of Her Family: ‘It Was Glorious’ 

A skydiving grandmother has reached a massive milestone — and her loved ones were right there in the clouds with her to celebrate.

Kim Knor marked her 1,000th jump on Nov. 6 at Jump Florida Skydiving in Lake Wales. Joining her for the unforgettable leap were her daughters, Holly, 58, and Tara, 56, along with her 28-year-old granddaughter, who traveled from Colorado just for the occasion.

“It was glorious,” Kim says, reflecting on the shared dive. “It was a joy to have them with me.”

Her daughters reminded her just how meaningful the moment was: “They told me, ‘You gave up so much pursuing skydiving when we were young. You stepped away to raise us — and now we get to celebrate you.’ That really hit me in the heart,” she explains. Having them alongside her, she says, “was the top of the mountain — the icing on the cake.”

Kim’s skydiving story began at age 18, when she mischievously forged her parents’ signatures to get airborne for the first time. Her passion quickly took flight — she later joined the first U.S. Women’s Parachute Team and won gold at the 1962 World Championships.

She eventually stepped away from the sport for nearly 40 years to focus on raising her family. But once her children were grown, she returned to the sky in her 60s and has since visited 90 drop zones across the country.

With her milestone jump complete, Kim has now earned the prestigious United States Parachute Association (USPA) Gold Wings Award, presented to those who achieve 1,000 dives. The honor was officially awarded during the 2025 International Skydiving Hall of Fame Celebration.

Despite the extreme nature of her hobby, fear has never been a factor. “I’ve never been anxious,” she says. “I get eager to get up there — but it’s excitement, not stress.”

What keeps her hooked? The freedom of the fall:
“I love free fall — and then riding the canopy while admiring the earth below and thinking, ‘Oh, you poor people down there… you don’t know what you’re missing.’ ”

Kim believes skydiving is part of what keeps her healthy and energized. “If life gets stressful, I just jump. It restores my positive energy and brings everything back into balance.”

As for her next goal? She doesn’t hesitate: “I want to jump over the pyramids in Egypt — and then start working toward the next 1,000.”