March 8, 2020
Senior Residents Enjoy New Experience of Skydiving at iFLY Concord
iFLY Indoor Skydiving is fun and safe for ages 3 to 103, and these senior citizens near Charlotte, North Carolina are living proof. Check out this inspirational piece from the Mooresville Tribune about an intrepid group of seniors learning to fly.
Two residents from Atria Lake Norman were floating on air — literally.
Joyce Schanck and Hank Schall, along with Jessica Pace, the Engage Life Instructor at Atria senior living in Mooresville, participated in a skydiving experience at iFly, an indoor skydiving center in Concord.
Shelley Burns, the Engage Life Director, shared that, “every month we get together and talk about things that we can do that are fun and exciting. After doing a little brainstorming, I stumbled upon a place in Concord called iFly an experience for all ages.”
Those participating feel like they are skydiving and gives the feel that they are floating on air, Burns noted. However, it all takes place indoors, inside a large air-filled dome. The entire first time flight experience take roughly one to two hours and after checking in, participants are provided with a personalized training session before they actually gear up to fly.
Approximately 12 residents along with Pace and Burns went to iFly and watched, and in time two of the residents decided to join in the fun.
Burns said that 93-year-old resident Joyce Schanck flew for the first time. “She was very apprehensive at first,” Burns said, “but after she saw how much fun others were having she decided to give it a try.”
Also participating in the skydiving was United States Korean War Veteran Hank Schall, who, Burns noted “seemed to have done this type of thing before. He was a real natural.”
Some of the residents’ families were also there taking pictures and video to capture the moment.
Burns noted that next month at iFly, an “All Abilities Day” will be held, and the group from Atria Lake Norman plans to return since more will be able to participate, and because they had such a good time.
“We wanted to do something residents have never tried before and help them to embrace new experiences and enjoy life every chance they get,” Burns said. Through this experience they also wanted to hopefully inspire others, she said, that “no matter how old you are it’s never too late to try something new and innovating.”
