How Residents Defied Expectations Through Indoor Skydiving
There are moments in life that stay with you. Moments that remind you of who you are, beyond circumstance, beyond age and beyond limitations. For a group of Friendship Village residents, that moment came during a recent “Dare Week” at Friendship Village of Bloomington where residents across all levels of living were invited to participate in an experience few people attempt at any age: indoor skydiving at iFLY.
“We wanted to do something bold,” says Josie Fritsch, Director of Lifestyle at Friendship Village. “Something that no one else in senior living was doing. And more importantly, something that every resident could be a part of.”
The goal of the resident experience was to challenge assumptions about aging and demonstrate that life continues to unfold in meaningful and exciting ways at every stage of life. Residents in their seventies, eighties and nineties signed up to fly. Not only from independent living, but from assisted living and other levels of care as well.
Among them was Connie, an 88-year-old resident living with Parkinson’s disease. She chose to take the leap alongside her daughter, Renee, turning the experience into something they could share together.
“I don’t even know why I said yes,” she says with a laugh. “But I knew it was the thing to do. I’ve always wanted to try skydiving,” Connie added. “I just never thought I would actually be able to.”
The experience itself lasted only a few minutes, but for Connie, it carried something much deeper.
“I forget that I have Parkinson’s when I’m doing something like that,” she says. “It’s a great escape.”
For those few moments in the air, the limitations of her condition faded into the background and she returned to the person she has always been: a daredevil at heart that is up for anything. Even now, long after the experience, the moment has stayed with her. “I think about it at least once a day,” Connie shares.
For her daughter, Renee, the experience held a different kind of meaning.
“The most special part was doing it together,” Renee says. “So much of our time now is appointments and caregiving. To have something like this that we could share, something exciting and joyful, it’s something I’ll always remember.”
Watching her mother say ‘yes’ to the experience was powerful.
“I’m so proud of her,” she says. “She trusted her body. She trusted the moment. And she did it.”
Those moments are exactly what Friendship Village aims to create.
A part of Lifespace Communities, Friendship Village has made it a priority to design experiences that extend across the entire campus, ensuring that residents continue to feel engaged, inspired and connected regardless of where they are in their journey.
“There’s a perception in senior living that the fun happens only in independent living,” Fritsch explains. “And that when someone transitions to higher levels of care, that part of life slows down. We wanted to challenge that. This is not the end of something. It’s a continuation.”
That philosophy continues to guide the Lifestyle team’s approach to programming.
“What can we do that makes someone feel like they’re in their twenties, thirties, or forties again?” Fritsch says. “What can we do that reminds them of who they’ve always been?”
From outdoor excursions to hands-on experiences and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like indoor skydiving, each moment at Friendship Village is created with intention. Through thoughtful programming, a connected community and a commitment to supporting residents at every level of living, the goal remains the same: to help individuals reconnect with who they are and continue discovering what’s possible.
