Endurance
My Name is Don, and I'm Addicted to Skydiving
Will someone please get this man some help?
By Bill Donahue

Don Kellner of Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, recently became the first American sky diver to notch 25,000 jumps. Kellner, 62, made his first dive on June 14, 1961, and has averaged more than 13 a week for the last 37 years. We caught up with him at the municipal airport in Hazleton, from which he has undertaken most of his jumps.

So, that 25,000th jump — tell us all about it. What was it like?

Just like the one before. You go up, jump out, fall, open your parachute, fly around a little, and land.

So it's, uh, kinda routine for you at this point. Why bother?

Because it's fun. That's all. It's just fun.

But don't you think other things could be fun, too?

I'm having too much fun to do other things.

OK. Now we understand that in 1990 you got married while skydiving?

Yeah, that was really fun. It was on national television.

But how did you do the vows?

We did them by hand signals. In free fall.

I see. Now let's pretend that right now you were forbidden from ever skydiving again ...

I can't pretend.

All right, so what does the future hold for you?

More jumps.