Woman, a Non-Verbal Quadriplegic Since Birth, Breaks a Skydiving Record Alongside Husband and Son: ‘Feels Like Freedom’
Woman, a Non-Verbal Quadriplegic Since Birth, Breaks a Skydiving Record Alongside Husband and Son: ‘Feels Like Freedom’
Lexi LaneSun, April 26, 2026 at 12:30 PM UTC
0
Tania Finlayson with skydiving instructor Zephaniah Knottnerus; Tania Finlayson with her son, MichaelCredit: Finlayson Family -
Tania Finlayson, who was born with cerebral palsy, set an unofficial Washington state record for a recent skydive
Tania and instructor Zephaniah Knottnerus jumped together from 17,694 feet and reached a speed of 125 mph
Tania's record will become official after she completes a data authentication with the United States Parachute Association
A woman who has been a non-verbal quadriplegic since birth set an unofficial Washington state record for her recent skydive.
Tania Finlayson of Kirkland already holds the world record for the longest distance driven in 24 hours using a chin-controlled wheelchair, but she wanted to break a different record in her home state.
On April 17 at around 3:30 p.m. local time, Tania and her instructor, Zephaniah Knottnerus, jumped just moments after her husband, Ken, and their 19-year-old son, Michael, skydived out of the same plane.
Tania Finlayson in the air with Zephaniah Knottnerus on April 17, 2026Credit: Zeph Knottnerus
Tania and Zeph jumped from 17,694 feet and reached a speed of 125 mph, unofficially setting the state record for the greatest droguefall distance and maximum vertical speed droguefall, per a press release.
Tania's record will become official after she completes a data authentication with the United States Parachute Association (USPA).
Tania, Michael and Ken Finlayson on April 17, 2026Credit: Finlayson Family
"Skydiving feels like freedom to me. For a little while, I am not defined by my disability," Tania told ABC News via her TandemMaster, a device that uses sensors to interpret the back of her head’s movements in Morse code.
Tania, was born with cerebral palsy after a complicated birth, added, "Skydiving is one of the rare experiences where we can all fully participate side by side [with my family] and that means everything to me."
Advertisement
Tania Finlayson and Zephaniah Knottnerus landing safely on April, 17, 2026Credit: Finlayson Family
Sign up for From the Editor, our free weekly newsletter from PEOPLE's Editor-in-Chief, Charlotte Triggs.
The April 17 jump marked the family's first time all skydiving together.
"I don't have any use of my limbs and I can't talk vocally," Tania explained in a blog on the TandemMaster website.
"A few doctors told my parents that I probably wouldn't amount to anything and would cause great distress to the family. They suggested my parents put me in an institution, but my parents didn't take the advice and took the challenge to raise me."
The recent jump was also special because Tania and Ken first met at Skydive Kapowsin in Shelton, Wash., in 1988. At the time, Ken had jumped 49 times and Tania had only done three.
Ken and Tania Finlayson with Zephaniah Knottnerus on April 17, 2026Credit: Finlayson Family
Since then, Tania has completed 53 jump and Ken has completed 152. Both have a B-license with the United States Parachute Association (USPA), which is obtained after completing 50 jumps.
Meanwhile, their son recently started the Accelerated Freefall (AFF) program to become a licensed skydiver. In March, he obtained his A-license, meaning he has passed all of his skydiving exams and has completed 25 jumps.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
