Women Skydivers Honored For Record-Breaking Formation

A group of 84 skydivers nailed the historic move on their 20th attempt. Here's how the two women leading the event pulled it off.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 05:18 PM ET

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Above a patchwork of fields outside Chicago, when skydivers from 17 countries set a Head Up World Record. [Courtesy: Norman Kent Photography]

Key Takeaways:

In July 2019, 84 skydivers from 17 countries, led by professional skydivers Amy Chmelecki and Sara Curtis, set a new Head Up World Record, a particularly difficult skydiving formation.
The record-breaking formation required 20 attempts to achieve and highlighted the extreme precision, teamwork, and motivation needed for such complex skydives.
The event not only set a new bar for the sport but also shined a spotlight on women gaining ground in skydiving, leading Chmelecki and Curtis to plan "Project 19," the first-ever 100-way women's vertical world record.
Organizing the record provided significant lessons about skydiving techniques and what is possible, contributing to the sport's evolution for future endeavors.

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In the world of skydiving, one of the most difficult formations to nail is the head-up formation. With feet down toward the earth, a jumper gives way to gravity, descending up to 160 mph. Balance is difficult. It’s a feat for any skydiver to pull off, but when 84 skydivers do so at once, records are broken.

That’s exactly what happened in July 2019 above a patchwork of fields outside Chicago, when skydivers from 17 countries set a Head Up World Record. The event, led by professional skydivers Amy Chmelecki and Sara Curtis, set a new bar for the sport, as well as trained a spotlight on women gaining ground in a sport where they have historically been underrepresented.