By Brooke Morrison

Skydiving always represented a boundary I wasn’t sure I could cross, a mix of terror and fascination. My journey to face that fear began in 2023, but let’s go back to where I was introduced to skydiving.

Hello. My name is Brooke, and I wanted to share a little about how I was able to face my fears of skydiving. I got a glimpse of skydiving when I decided to do a tandem skydive in 2003 at 18 years old in Skydive Marana, AZ. At that age, I didn’t really register it as a fear; it was more about youthful adventure and fun.

Fast forward to October 2022. I decided to take a small road trip back to Colorado for my birthday. While I was there, I wanted to do another tandem skydive—20 years later—after talking to one of my really good friends, James Herrera, who is a licensed skydiver.

Talking to him and hearing all about skydiving got me interested in maybe becoming a skydiver myself. I started seriously thinking about getting my license.

I did my birthday tandem in October 2022 with my tandem instructor, Lee Kizziar. Little did I know we would become boyfriend and girlfriend later on.

After my birthday trip, I had to return to Iowa. Lee and I started talking and became a couple. Now, I was submerged in the skydiving industry.

In June 2023, I decided that I wanted to pursue my skydiving license. At 39, I had a completely different mindset than when I was 18. I was also juggling going back and forth between Iowa and Colorado because my son was still in high school. I wasn’t going to move him, so I committed to long-distance and stayed at the drop zone where I started.

I began my Accelerated Freefall (AFF) program at Out of the Blue in Limon, jumping out of a King Air B200. Around jump 3 or 4, I developed what I call “door fear.” I started going long periods without jumping, but I kept showing up to the drop zone, observing and learning from the ground.

What held me back was not trusting myself and the fear that my instructors wouldn’t be able to reach me if I lost control. What I had to learn was to trust myself and my instructors. We are all trained—you just have to believe in yourself and them.

When I developed door fear, it was because the door became the focal point of everything. You get in the door; you get out of the door. I began to hate it. After only a couple of jumps and then going home without finishing, it became even harder. Then, the drop zone I was training at closed indefinitely. I thought, maybe skydiving just isn’t for me.

In 2024, once my son graduated, I was able to move to Colorado with my boyfriend. A new drop zone opened—Skydive Colorado Springs (Owners: Jeremy Divan and Mike Ross)—operating with a Cessna 182 and offering Instructor-Assisted Deployment (IAD). Despite my doubts and fear, I decided to push forward and continue working on my license. Since I hadn’t jumped in a while, I took a few IAD jumps to get back in the sky and rebuild confidence.

Now that I’ve experienced both AFF and IAD, I would recommend IAD because you learn to fly your canopy first, then your body. But it’s all personal preference. I think learning canopy skills early is crucial, especially since landing is the most dangerous part.

Again, I started my skydiving journey and didn’t give up. I ran into more roadblocks with fear. There were times I rode the plane up just to come back down. Once the door opened, I would say, “No, I’m not going.” And that’s okay. Don’t be embarrassed to ride the plane down. What helped me was finding an instructor who was patient and helped me feel relaxed with breathing exercises. If you find an instructor who works well with you, stick with them. Everyone at the drop zone was so encouraging, even if I didn’t jump. They continued to support me and never doubted my ability to become a skydiver.

Throughout the 2024 season, I continued to jump on and off, taking long breaks due to fear. Once again, I didn’t finish my license.

In 2025, the season began again. I started working at Skydive Colorado Springs, becoming fully immersed in the skydiving industry—learning manifest, bookings, and more.

Each year, I told myself, “This is the year I’m going to become a licensed skydiver.” I still hadn’t given up.

My last jump had been six months ago. I kept seeing new students come in and pass me by—just like before. Inside, it made me jealous, and I didn’t want to be left behind anymore. So, I told my instructor, “Let’s get in the air today.” It was perfect weather, and we planned for a dive exit. I had always been scared of dive exits, fearing instability, but my instructor reassured me they would come get me if anything went wrong. I always asked, “You got me, right?” That question gave me comfort.

We rode the plane up, the door opened, I got into the dive position—and out we went. Once I was in freefall, all my worries disappeared. The dive went great. We followed the dive plan, and I landed safely. In that moment, I was proud. I conquered my fear and proved to myself that yes, I can skydive.

After that jump, I wrote down everything I needed to complete my license and made a plan. I reviewed all the skills and knocked out my license within a few weeks.

I still get nervous when the door opens. But now I sit by the door and say, “I’m in charge, not you.” Once I leave the plane, I know I’m going to have fun with my friends. I now look forward to skydiving.

Key Takeaways 1

We all struggle in our own ways. It’s okay to go at your own pace—and even take steps backward—if that helps you build confidence and move forward again. Find an instructor who takes the time to understand you, works with your unique challenges, builds you up instead of tearing you down, and offers grace when you have an off day.

Surround yourself with a supportive community—other jumpers and staff who understand the difficulty of what you’re facing and keep the positivity flowing. Most importantly, give yourself grace. You’re not perfect, and you don’t have to be. Take as long as you need.

Progress, not perfection, is what defines your success. You don’t have to match anyone else’s timeline or follow the USPA’s script to the letter. This journey is yours.

I’ll never forget the jump when everything clicked. After months of frustration, self-doubt, and redoing levels, I finally felt calm in freefall, present, confident, and in control. My instructor had the biggest smile on his face as we flew together, and that moment said it all. Not because I nailed it perfectly, but because I kept going. That’s what this sport is all about.

Acknowledgments

I want to give a huge thank you to all of my instructors, James Herrera and Lee Kizziar, who stood by me through every step of this journey. Your patience, encouragement, and belief in me, especially during the moments when I didn’t believe in myself, meant the world.

To the crew at Skydive Colorado Springs: thank you for welcoming me into this amazing community, for cheering me on whether I jumped or rode the plane down, and for making me feel like I belonged. You never gave up on me, and because of that, I didn’t give up on myself.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without each of you.

Blue skies and much love,

Brooke Morrison A-117936