192 m FREEFALL

That's 630 feet. To put it into context, the CN Tower is 553 m (1815 feet) and the main observation deck of the Eiffel Tower is at 115 m. So, one of my adventures in New Zealand was to do something called the Sky Jump off the Sky Tower in downtown Auckland. The hardest part was letting go. They get you all dressed up in a superhero-like jumpsuit, then they walk you onto this plank, where they strap this thin cable to your back. As the wind is howling, you have a magnificent view of the city, but that is obscured by the fact that you are now standing on a shaky 2 by 6 that wants to buckle under your weight! You hang on tight to the handrail, barely comprehending what the guide is telling you. All you know is that he is going to count to 3 and you had better jump! I took one look over the edge of the plank and my survival instincts kicked in! There was NO WAY I was going to plummet to sure death on the city street below. Then I heard it, the final countdown. "1!...." Oh my, was I really going to do this? And why did I agree to go first?! My other American teammates must surely be laughing their pants off that a silly Canadian fell for their encouragement to go first. "2!...." Surely, they've had people back out before. Yes, I know that I would lose my money, but was I willing to sell my life right now? "3!!!" The final thought I had was this: Tim, you've got to do it! This same fear is what prevented you from finishing the swim leg of the triathlon and I can't let fear stop me from doing things. In many ways, I still think I could've finished the swim, that I gave in to fear way too easily. Now was my chance to prove to myself that I had some command over my instincts. I literally leapt off the plank.

What an amazing trip down! The cable that supports you is hooked up to a motor, so your descent is actually 'controlled'. The first nanosecond of panic is quickly replaced by the feeling of exhilaration! At first, I thought that I would have no breathe to scream with, but soon found myself screaming madly and pumping my fists! What a cool way to see the city landscape. In fact, I recall having enough time to scream twice. The people down below must've thought that I was crazy and in a way, I was. There's so much of life that I haven't experienced yet and it's just a matter of letting go. And when you do, you break out of the monotony of what you're used to and experience a new rush.

Andy, a Maori guide and what I thought would be the last face that I would see before plunging to a 192 metre free fall induced splat on the sidewalk.










On my way down to one of the coolest experiences that I've ever had!