85 years young: Woman celebrating World Skydiving Day by jumping in Michigan on quest to get her 'Gold Wings'

(WWJ) — For many people, the thought of skydiving is a big “NOPE.”

But when 20-year-old Kim Knor picked up the sport, she was hooked.

Fast forward six decades, and she’s still at it. Now at 85 years young, Knor approached her 700th lifetime jump on Thursday in Fowlerville ahead of World Skydiving Day on July 13.

Knor, from Cadillac, Mich., first jumped in 1959 when she forged her parents’ signatures so she could make her first jump. She then sold all her possessions and bought a one-way plane ticket so she could travel as a parachute enthusiast.  Then in 1962, she made history as a member of the first U.S. Women’s Parachute Team.

After what Knor says was a “37-year hiatus” from jumping — in part to raise her children — she took up the sport again in 2003.

After her husband’s death she has now resumed her journey to get her official Gold Wings for 1,000 skydives — her goal when she first started jumping.

Thursday’s jump was part of a series of dives in her home state of Michigan. She’ll wrap up her time in the state with a jump in Grand Haven on Saturday for World Skydiving Day.

“I’m not in a wheelchair, I’m not in a rocking chair and I don’t sit on the couch and I don’t watch TV,” Knor said. “So what do I do? Go out and jump out of airplanes.”

With Thursday being her 698th jump, Knor hopes to reach the 1,000-jump milestone by next summer.

Knor encourages everyone to try skydiving at least once.

“But I have to warn you that it’s very, very addictive,” Knor said. “It’s worse than alcohol or drugs or anything like that. Once you do it and get addicted to it, it’s like, ‘when can I do it again, when can I do it again?’”

At the ripe old age of 85, Knor says she's still got plenty of time to get her Gold Wings.

"I've probably got 18 or 20 years left, so I might as well have fun," Knor said. "And then when I get old I can sit and write a book about everything."