What does it feel like to fall through the sky? Two women who have broken barriers and mastered the art of skydiving from India and the United States tell Kim Chakanetsa the answer.
The very first time Rachel Thomas flew in an aeroplane, she jumped out of it at 4,500 feet. Fast forward to 2002 and she became the first Indian woman to skydive and set foot on the North Pole. In her 25-year career she has completed 650 skydives in 11 countries, has been a judge at skydiving competitions and has received many awards including the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award. Danielle Williams is an African American disabled skydiver who is an advocate for greater diversity in outdoor adventure sports. She graduated from Harvard in 2008 and spent a decade in the U.S. Army. She has completed over 600 jumps, and in 2014 co-founded Team Blackstar Skydivers. This team, originally made up of six African Americans who linked up in a "black star" formation skydive, has now grown to a diverse group of over 330 skydivers in six countries. She is also the Founder and Senior Editor of Melanin Base Camp, an outdoor blog promoting diversity.
Produced by Emily Naylor and Alice Gioia.
IMAGES: (L) Rachel Thomas, courtesy of Rachel Thomas (R) Danielle Williams, credit Ro Asgari