Page 30 - Panama City Living Magazine

ADRENALINE
Sean Sylvester, AFF instructor
Kayla Robertson, the only female accelerated freefall instructor, works alongside Judd. Kayla is actively enlisted in the military, and helps coordinate dozens of jumps. There are those who are there for the one-time thrill and adventure of skydiving, and there are a number of people who are working toward becoming certified AFF (accelerated free fall) solo skydivers.
I asked Jen about the reactions she sees from those who are com- pleting their first jump. “Oh gosh, they love it. Ninety-nine percent of the people land and they’re stoked; they’re like "I want to go again!’” As for Jen, she says of her first time, “I was terrified, abso- lutely terrified.” She and a friend were on a dare. “If you do it, I’ll do it.” She recalls being up in the plane, and that exact moment when she stepped out. “It’s hard to describe ... but you go through this range of emotions, and the peak of it [adrenaline] is when you’re in, strapped up, the door opens, the green light comes on. That’s the peak of your anxiety, and after that it’s just an indescribable thing. Like the second you leave, the second you jump out, all of that goes. As soon as you jump, you’re just doing it, you’re flying! I think at that point your body realizes you’re past the point of no return. There’s nothing you can do now, so enjoy it. It’s just awe- some, that freefall....”
At present, skydiving is predominantly a male sport. According to the United States Parachute Association (USPA), the latest statis- tics show that of their total member organization 87 percent are male, and 13 percent female. Kayla and Jen represent a minority in this sport, but Jen wants women who are thinking of skydiving to know that there’s nothing stopping them. In fact, everyone I encountered at Skydive Panama City was encouraging and hopeful that more women would begin to enjoy the sport. For most, it’s a bucket-list sport. “Some people just say, ‘Hey, let’s go do this,’ then some chicken-out,” Jen says. “But for many, once they do it one time, they just get hooked,” she laughs.
The risk is what creates adrenaline, and the rush comes once you leave the plane. How we need and process adrenaline is unique to each individual.
Sean Sylvester, an adjunct professor at the University of West Florida (UWF), and an accelerated freefall instructor at Skydive Panama City, enjoys teaching those that want to go beyond jump- ing tandem. Recalling his first skydive in Alberta, Alabama, almost eight years ago, he says, “You have to realize that fear is a part of it. The way you overcome fear is different for everyone, but I have
Jumper Christian Warren
30 • March—April 2020 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com