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Show The Park Record C-2 Wed/Thurs/Fri, July 9 - 1 1 , 2008 Parachutes in wind for women MUSTANG out feeling," she paused, adding, shouldn't." Foster's then-boyfriend had a "It's the person that fails, not the Her encounter with Spatola set chute." familiar reaction when she told in motion her life of falling. Kim Emmons Knor of Chicago him she jumped from airplanes in Foster took her first dive at the has 456 static-line, tandem and her spare time and on the weekValley Forge Country Club in single jumps under her parachute ends: He didn't believe her. Pennsylvania in 1960. She was 25 belt. By the time she turns 70 in "When I told [people] I jumped years old and working at the April 2009. she plans to have out of an airplane they looked at Hagley Museum as a secretary 1.000. me like, 'When did you start 1 and receptionist. "I also did Knor, who started parachuting lying? " she recalled. [lower arrangements," she said. in her early 20s. is selling her Then Foster's name appeared '"I was afraid to tell my bosses home and taking a months-long in the Dateline Delaware newswhen I made my first jump. I was vacation to California where she paper and other publications. afraid they would think I Not that men had lost my mind." / / were against women Foster, who was raised " " / think I realized I Was afraid Of SO jumping. Many men supwith nine siblings in New ported their female Castle. Del., hadn't wanted to jump from an air- many things. I thought if I could deal counterparts with equipcraft at all. She has, to this an day. a fear of heights so with the fear of jumping out of an air- Barbara Roquemore^ / COUld do SnvthinQ husband bought her skystrong it prevents her from climbing a two-story ^ ^' diving lessons as a gift in -Barbara Roquemore 1963.^ "He thought one fire escape. She recalls praying for Retired competitive skydiver jump would be all I would make, but it was high winds, rain, low only the beginning," she clouds, anything to cancel said at the reunion June that first stunt. She had no such plans to jump five limes a day. luck; the sky was clear, and she Knor said older parachutists 28. Roquemore was 26 at the time walked off the plane in midair are more risk-averse than young attached to a cord attached to the ones, although she is no stranger of her first jump and. by her own plane attached, finally, to her to danger. She was on the first admission, scared of everything. parachute. women's team at the Sixth The California native couldn't She executed the feat not for 'Parachute Championship, where even drive a car when she started any novelty, but because she - she met her husband Milan Knor, parachuting. "It was the most loved the sport's other partici- a Yugoslavian, "it was nice to be frightening thing I've ever done pants. "I wanted to be around sport," Knor in my life," she confessed. "I arranged for someone else to these people who were raise our daughter. I was pioneering a sport," she sure I would die." said. LI wanted that Then why do it? bond." "I think I realized I was Her affection didn't afraid of so many things," make stepping into the sky she said. "I thought if I from a Cessna any easier. could deal with the fear of •"You feel like a sardine," jumping out of an airplane. she said. "'You have all this I could do anything." bulky equipment." The reaction of most of On that first jump and her friends and family the hundred to follow, remained lukewarm. Foster learned that it's not "Everybody was against just a fear of height a skyme jumping," Roquemore diver has to quell, but also recalled. Her instructor an innate fear of falling. even tried to bribe "People say. 'I'm afraid of Roquemore's husband with heights." But that's no a S50 bill to have the excuse," she said. novice skydiver not return •'Because you have to for more lessons. fight fear. That's character It took Roquemore 100 building." jumps attached to a cable Since her first jump before she was prepared to nearly 50 years ago. Foster freefall. But. in 1968. she says she logged 171 jumps. won the women's national That number may title for accuracy in a sound impressive. Foster freefall, a competition in says, but it's a modest which participants must number compared to some make midair adjustments of her fellow female paraand land on a target. chutists at the convention. SCOTT SINE /THE PARK RECORD Elizabeth Foster" rememFoster has friends who Elizabeth Foster at her home Monday. b e r s l h e rea ction her suehave won national acclaim for skydiving, friends who invent- affirmed. "We were girls at that cess and recognition elicited from ed tandem chutes, friends who time. We were chickees." her husband, also a competitive have died in fly-bys and acrobatic Some early female para- jumper, and her brother, who was planes. Other women have bro- chutists, including Knor and in the military. ken ribs, tailbones. pelvises and Foster, said men were often "Military men looked at me separated shoulders. incredulous when they caught askance," she said. "They asked "In an airplane you can't wind of what the women had me. "Why are you jumping out of measure the distance between done. airplanes? We know why we do it. where you are and where terra but why are you doing it?1" "It's really cool." Knor said of firm a is." Foster said. •'You're her career as a competitive sky"It used to be for the people," climbing and there's all that diver. "'People say. 'You're she replied. "'Now it's because I noise. It feels like an eternity. what?" You look like a librarian. love jumping out of airplanes." There's all that fear and time and My advice to girls and young Although Foster said her parayou know of a woman who died women is to pursue their dreams, chuting days are behind her, she in an accident. Then you're whatever they may be. If you looks as though she's only a pair falling at approximately 120 mph want to jump, jump. If you have a of goggles and a rip cord away but it doesn't feel like it. You dream, do it. Just because you're don't get that hottom-dropping- a woman doesn't mean you from leaving for a DC3 bound for 12.000 feet." • Continued from C-1 B E S T UTAH F I S H D I S H ( U T A H R E D T R O U T ) CITY WEEKLY BEST OF 2 0 0 8 VOTED UTAH'S BEST ECLECTIC MENU CITY IT'S A B O U T T H E WEEKLY F O O D . $25 off the purchase of 2 Entrees • $5 Corkage CC purchases only • Must present At! • Expires fuhj 15th CHEF/OWNER - BILL HUFFERD OPI:N NIGHTLY 5:30 • RESERVATIONS 658-3975 • 890 MAIN STKKIET. 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