Lew Sanborn holds parachute license D-1—the very first license ever issued—and has spent decades helping shape the sport of skydiving.
Before Lew, skydiving was largely limited to the military. He became an instructor for the Army’s first official freefall course and went on to open the first commercial drop zone in the United States in 1959.
When Growing Bolder met Lew, he was still skydiving in his 80s. His story is a pretty compelling reminder that adventure doesn’t have an expiration date.











