No Fear

I have these pictures in my office. Beautiful pictures actually of a friend BASE jumping from the New River Gorge Bridge in WV. I’ve also a picture of his son skydiving in Utah and another of one of his daughters, with her long blond hair rising high. What a family! I tell everyone who asks about these pictures, “The ‘No Fear’ t-shirts exist because of this man and his family!”

There are two pictures of Paul. The first I point out is the typical sky diving freefall. You see a beautiful earthy blur around the photographer's sharply focused subject; very close to a 3-D affect. Goggles on his eyes, harness on his back, and a purple leader in his right hand to be released when it's time for the canopy to take hold of the wind. It’s a fantastic shot.

Then, I motion to the next frame. Still in perfect form, the purple leader is high above him with empty fall tree limbs off to the side while below is a gorgeous view of the New River with slate and stone shimmering around and reflected from the bed of the river. It is a spectacular bird’s eye view.

But, my story to onlookers doesn’t stop there. I direct them (every time with awe) to look closely at the second setting. Now imagine seeing the river heavy with stone right below and the purple leader above you and realize right at that split second that your chute isn’t going to open. This is what happened to Paul.

In those amazing split seconds, Paul guided himself using rehearsed body technique over into the trees to help brace the impact. He gashed open his head and broke his back. They had to life flight him out of the valley. I asked his son, “With a gash like that, did you look? Did you see inside? Was there really anything in there?” His reply: “It was completely empty!”

Over the next year, Paul had back surgery and discovered he also had a tumor resident that needed removed. In this light it was a blessing that he fell from the sky into those trees to catch this disease in time!

Paul became a hurtin' man. They put him on drugs that reduced him to a fearful soul. He wouldn't stay down though so it wasn’t long before he rejected the treatment and refused any more medication. Once his body cleared of the meds, so did his mind. Paul came back at age 67 refusing to allow that bridge to beat him. Two years after his horrific fall, with his son by his side, he BASE jumped that bridge again…successfully.

I bow to Paul; to his life; to his courage and to his will to be who he is. I simply adore him.

Note: These two marvelous pictures were purchased with full usage rights by Paul from Bridge Day, 2003. His consent was given for use here.

Written by Teri Lee
May, 2004