It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Wendy

Submitted photo Staff writer Wendy Soloduik recently took to the skies near Cookstown. Soloduik, along with several others, received a skydiving lesson from Skydive Toronto.

This is the second of a two part series. Staff writer Wendy Soloduik recently went skydiving in Cookstown.

That's all they kept saying during training. My hands go out, I bend my knees and I arch my back. Everything slows.

As I gather perspective, I realize that Chad is coming in for a close-up shot. I smile, and wave to his camera, thinking "this is the tape they'll play at my funeral!" My mouth opens, and gathers air. I quickly shut it but the wind is rippling my checks. I'm thankful for the goggles.

Chad backs off, and Lucas taps my wrist. Looking down at the altimeter strapped to my arm, I notice we're already at 6,000 feet. I reach to the side of his leg and pull the rip cord. Our parachute deploys and we are sucked up as our sail gathers wind.

"You have a perfect chute," Lucas said, reassuringly. "Everything is functioning correctly."

At this point, now only about 20 seconds into the jump, I decide that I'm going to relax. The scenery is beautiful, and we are falling slowly, and with control. This is the part when you realize that the worst is behind you. You've done it, and the chute opened.

We drift through a cloud. A cloud! In the air, just the two of us. No sense of time, unlimited space and white mist surrounding us. Imagine the peacefulness.

Pulling the left toggle, the parachute quickly takes us left. We're swirling, and I'm laughing like a child on a roller coaster. Then right, and then a quick left. We are harnessing the wind and dancing in the sky. What power.

"Let's practice our landing now," said Lucas. "Knees up as we approach, and together we'll pull down on the toggles to slow our approach."

The ground is getting closer now, and I don't want the ride to be over. But the earth is rising up to meet us and I review my safe landing procedures in my head.

We execute a "slide-in" landing, and come to rest right next to the picnic tables on the property, as predicted.

We're alive. We're more than alive, we're ALIVE!!!

Adrenaline pumping I vow to become an instructor right then and there, so that I can jump over and over again. What a rush. What an unbelievable, life experience.

Although there are some risks involved with any sport, looking back on my experience that day I would risk it all again and encourage anyone who's ever thought of skydiving to find out more for themselves.

Apparently, for me, the sky was not the limit.

And now, all I have to decide is wether I want to tame lions next, or circle around a burning cage of fire on a motorcycle.

Contact Skydive Toronto Inc. at 800 668-5867 or 705 424-5593.