Kim Knor reached the impressive achievement on Nov. 6 at Jump Florida Skydiving in Lake Wales, where she leapt from the plane alongside her daughters, Holly (58) and Tara (56), as well as her 28-year-old granddaughter, who traveled from Colorado to join the moment.
“It was absolutely glorious,” Kim tells PEOPLE exclusively, reflecting on the unforgettable family jump. “Having them there with me was pure joy.”
The moment became even more meaningful when her daughters expressed how much it meant to join her after witnessing the sacrifices she made throughout her life. “They told me, ‘You gave up so much. You stepped in and out of the sport while raising us, and now we get to celebrate this milestone with you.’ Hearing that went straight to my heart,” Kim shares. “Having them there was the ultimate highlight — the icing on the cake.”
Kim first jumped at age 18 — forging her parents’ signatures to do it — and later competed as part of the inaugural U.S. Women’s Parachute Team, winning gold at the 1962 World Championships. She then paused skydiving for nearly 40 years to raise her family, returning to the sport in her 60s and visiting 90 drop zones across the country.
Her 1,000th jump earned her the prestigious United States Parachute Association (USPA) Gold Wings Award, which she received during the 2025 International Skydiving Hall of Fame Celebration the following day.
Despite the intensity of the sport, Kim says skydiving has never caused her fear. “I’m always eager to get back in the sky — never anxious,” she explains. “I love the free fall, the canopy ride, and looking down thinking, ‘You people have no idea what you’re missing.’”
Skydiving, she says, brings balance and healing into her life. “If things get stressful, I jump. The positive energy resets me. It keeps me healthy.”
And she isn’t planning to stop anytime soon. Her next big dream? “Jumping over the pyramids in Egypt,” she says — and then setting her sights on her next thousand jumps.
