Shayna Richardson's One and Only Post...Read It and Get Over It!!!!

I think people NEED to stop saying shit they don't know what they are talking about! I haven't made a single dime off of any of this!!! Nothing I have said to the media has been bullshit...I am sorry if you think a near death ACCIDENT is bullshit...shows how large a heart you...and many others have. FYI I haven't even been home to check dropzone.com...or any other site for that matter in over a week...and neither has Rick.

If people want to ban me for having a skydiving accident then it will be a loss of money for them. I am going to keep jumping, and so is Rick. That is our choice, and no one elses. I want someone to tell me something that I specifically said that is so called "ruining" skydiving. All I ever say is that it was I am a STUDENT...and it was MY FAULT...and that I still LOVE the sport...and YES...I will do it again. Please tell me what is so wrong with that?!?!?

Like I said up top...you can choose to hear the truth or not...I haven't made a cent from any of this. I have nearly $200,000 in medical bills plus nearly $25,000 to get my teeth back. I simply wanted to ask America for help. Why should I have to run around with no teeth in my mouth for the rest of my life because of a accident?!?!? I need help, and this country is full of people who can do just that...and I will find them! If you, or any other skydivier has a problem with it you can dwell on it in your hearts...and maybe sometime actually listen to one of the news programs...and hear what I am saying.

At no point am I saying anything bad about skydiving. I would like to point out that right after the accident I went on to industrial haze...myself...and explained the accident...that still didn't stop the rumurs. So why now would I want to waste my time going on to dropzone.com or industrial haze when you all have clearly made up your minds what you think to be the truth. I am starting to think that it is not my story hurting skydiving, but so called "friends" that are out to ruin someone for having an accident.

I was jumping a canopy that I personally asked a professional from PD about jumping...and was told there was nothing wrong with that canopy. I weigh 120 lbs...the canopy was a 190!!! My reserve was not a 120...I would like to know the dumbass who just thought they knew something...but like the rest of you know nothing...my reserve was a 170...again at 120 lbs was more then big enough...as if I really went up planning to use it. I had 4 instuctors...and I was trained in my first jump course by the best of the best at Freefall Express...and no I am not talking about Rick...although I find him to be an excellent instructor. I think everyone in the skydiving community simply has forgotten what an "accident" is. I was trained the same as all the other students, and the "accident" was my fault...and NO ONE elses.

I had a perfect skydive in which I got stable, did my circle of awarness, waved off, and deployed on time. Rick was right there helping me and correcting me during the dive. Once I was under the canopy what could he possibly do to help me?!?! It was up to me to know what to do, and how to react to a problem. It isn't that I wasn't taught what to do...I simply paniced and didn't do it. So, how is this Rick's fault, or any of my other instructors for that matter?

I think everyone at dz.com or industrial haze needs to get a life, and get out of mine! I am not going to explain anything again, or try to clear my name or Rick's. We know the truth, and luckly so do the people who matter...which guess what...aren't ANY of you! I do nothing but promote skydiving, and my love for the sport. If you still have a problem with it I will just have to ask you to search your heart...and talk to God. To me it seems like you are all questioning his amazing works?!?!?!

Edited by slotperfect to change subject line to title case (was all caps), and broke the long post into paragraphs to make it easier to read.

Get over it,
Shayna

Well said and I don't think anyone will have anything usefull to say after reading this...

I do have a curiosity question. Insurance? did they choose not to pay??? That would suck royally . If so I would like to know which insurance co to stay away from.

Shayna - or somebody, since she vowed not to post again - please post the bare bones details of the incident. Many of us have not seen any of the media coverage of which you speak. I have had people tell me they saw it and called it "an amazing story." Other than that I know nothing of the incident.

The long explanation will be better supported with the basic facts surrounding what happened, or a link to another thread on this board or others that contains that information.

Meanwhile, I edited your post a bit to make it easier to read - it's a long one.

Heal quickly . . .

I think that was needed. Happy to hear that u will be back in the air as soon as u get the oppertunity. I have read many posts on ur accident and based on my low experience have not commented. People that have asked me if i saw it on tv. I say yes and say that it was a mistake that i too could have possibly done. its a panic situation. When its a new panic situation sometimes u go for the one way out u know.

In my FJC it was... look right grab right, look left grab left, peel-punch-sweep, peel-punch-sweep. and of course arch.

Like i said, i too in a panic state with few jumps for experience would do what im taught. No way to say for sure if my actions would have been the same, but I know one thing for sure..

after reading about ur incident, I will know what to do in the event should it happen to me.

Get well and get back in the air. Hope u get some help with the expenses. This also makes me want to look very closely at my insurance poliy.

So far I've stayed out of this one, but I have to reply to this -

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I have nearly $200,000 in medical bills plus nearly $25,000 to get my teeth back. I simply wanted to ask America for help. Why should I have to run around with no teeth in my mouth for the rest of my life because of a accident?!?!? I need help, and this country is full of people who can do just that...and I will find them!

You chose to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. No one forced you to do it. It was your decision.

When you made that decision, whether you knew it or not, you accepted all the risks that go along with throwing yourself at the ground at a high rate of speed relying only on some fabric and lines that have been known to not work in the past.

You are responsible for your accident. No one else. You.

Take responsibility for yourself, your choices, your decisions and your actions and you'll get respect. Expect others to pay for your choices, decisions and actions and you'll get exactly what you've been reading here.

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Like I said up top...you can choose to hear the truth or not...I haven't made a cent from any of this. I have nearly $200,000 in medical bills plus nearly $25,000 to get my teeth back. I simply wanted to ask America for help. Why should I have to run around with no teeth in my mouth for the rest of my life because of a accident?!?!? I need help, and this country is full of people who can do just that...and I will find them!

I find it disturbing that in lieu of simply having health insurance in the first place, you make it the rest of the country's job to pay for your injuries. If you can't afford the health insurance, you can't afford the sport. It's not just a matter of being able to pay for the jumps, there are ancillary costs associated with the sport that are every bit as important as the actual sport.

In fact, by not having health insurance, those of us WITH health insurance will have higher costs. For every person who gets hurt and cannot pay, it drives up the cost for those who can and do pay, which is then passed on to insurance, who raise their rates to maintain their profit levels.

I find it unfortunate you had the accident, but you alone made the choice to jump, and you alone made the choice to jump without insurance.

Hi Shayna.

I don't think you should feel bad for going public with your story, and I have no doubt that many here on dropzone.com would have made the same decision. It would be great if someone out there could help you financially. Why not? There's a lot of money floating around among people willing to use it for a good cause.

I wish all our friends could impact and live. My mother, sister, and I skydive together. We were thrilled to see your television segment and thought it was a positive story for our sport.

Blue Skies, Olivia

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/13/skydiver.plunge.ap/

My first post I chose to be tactful, and ask the question that would answer why most of us are pissed. If you had insurance and it didnt pay, or if you just were not insured.

you ask...

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Why should I have to run around with no teeth in my mouth for the rest of my life because of a accident?!?!?

If you have no health insurance...yes you should...that was your decision to make. It is not the problem of the rest of us here to pay for your choices to jump uninsured if that was the case. The question I posed, about weather insurance paid or refused. Lots of insurance policys state very bluntly what is covered, and isnt covered. Skydiving is normally #1 on those lists. If that was the case, then same situation, you chose to do something where risk of serious injury is high underinsured.

Do not come crying to me to give you a dime. You make choices in your life, and you need to deal with the consequences. Skydiving is dangerous, you chose to do it. When it bit you in the ass, and you were not prepared you came crying. that is not our problem you made a decision that as far as I am concerned is stupid.

I have been on the ground for the last 7 months due to injury (non skydiving related) which required surgery (I had insurance...imagine that, it was only $600 out of my pocket, where the bills were over 30,000!) and then being uninsured. I am not taking the risk of getting hurt and being stuck with the bills. It is called common sense.

You are trying to sensationalize the fact you made poor choices....and prying on the sentimental people of this country to bail you out because you couldnt make a good judgment call??? That my dear is what "I" have a problem with. Yes accidents happen, things happen, but you made a choice to jump uninsured. Not my problem you cant pay your bills.

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Hi Shayna.

I don't think you should feel bad for going public with your story, and I have no doubt that many here on dropzone.com would have made the same decision. It would be great if someone out there could help you financially. Why not? There's a lot of money floating around among people willing to use it for a good cause.

Blue Skies, Olivia

I know PLENTY of people who have been hurt and it has barely made a blip on the radar of National News.

And those same people are not out hounding for donations.

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and I have no doubt that many here on dropzone.com would have made the same decision.

Im sorry, I have to completely disagree with this....