Nonverbal woman with cerebral palsy hopes to break state skydiving record
A Washington woman hopes to break a state skydiving record after completing a tandem jump this past weekend.
Tania Finlayson, who has cerebral palsy and doesn't have control over her arms, legs or tongue, went skydiving at Skydive Kapowsin in Kirkland on Saturday with her husband Ken Finlayson and 20-year-old son Michael Finlayson.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cerebral palsy is a group of disorders where the brain develops abnormally. It can impact a person's ability to move, control their muscles and maintain balance and posture.
Finlayson, who also is nonverbal and uses a customized computer communication system, told ABC News' Danny New that, despite her condition, she loves to skydive and has done so more than 50 times.
"Skydiving feels like freedom to me. For a little while, I am not defined by my disability," Finlayson said through her TandemMaster communication device.
The Finlayson family jumped together, with Ken and Michael jumping and then Tani. performing a tandem jump from nearly 18,000 feet and reaching estimated speeds of 125 mph.
Tania Finlayson hopes to set new state records for the greatest droguefall distance and maximum vertical speed droguefall. The United States Parachute Association defines a "drogue" as a "trailing drag device" that is used to slow a diver down through the air and "to regulate the fall rate of tandem skydivers."
After completing the skydive, Finlayson said it felt "really special and honestly, a bit surreal."
"Skydiving is one of the rare experiences where we can all fully participate side by side and that means everything to me," she said.
