Cancer survivor makes 2000th sky dive in Rosharan

ROSHARAN, TX (KTRK) -- Marian Sparks likes to jump out of planes.

"Jumping keeps me young and keeps me alive and keeps all the good stuff going through the brain," she told Eyewitness News.

Time after time she's suited up, practiced her maneuvers, lifted off, and floated down to the ground. So many jumps -- the one Sundy was momentous.

"I never thought I would ever reach 2,000 jumps, especially in the beginning," she laughed.

It's a big deal for people who like to fly without wings.

"Any triple zero jump for a sky diver is a big deal," explained Kirsten Johnson, Sparks' first instructor.

But for Marian, jumping is more than sport. It's lifesaving.

"It kept me busy and hopeful," she said while suiting up for Sunday's big jump.

Her friend and fellow sky diver, Leah Blache, suggested, "Skydiving was a way to channel the stress of what she was going through and release it."

In 2008, Sparks was newly divorced, with no insurance, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She says survived because of this sport, these people, and a non-profit breast cancer facility called The Rose.

"The Rose took care of me, took care of my breast cancer," she said. "And I swore I was going to pay them back."

She started "Jump For The Rose" to raise money for the place that gave her wings.

So far, raising $85,000 in 5 years from people jumping out of planes for charity.

With Marian on the jump was friend and fellow breast cancer survivor Lori Mitchell.

"I want to be there to support her," said Mitchell, "and getting 2,000 jumps is very special, especially for a lady like Marian.

A lady like Marian, for whom it seems not even the sky is the limit.

For the next six months, SkyDive Spaceland is donating $20 of every tandem jump to Jump For The Rose. Find out more details here: http://www.jumpfortherose.org/