I first met Marie 4 or 5 years ago at Skydive Perris and the first thing that struck me was the huge amount of energy that radiated from such a petite person. If you ever need to exemplify the “small, but mighty” saying, look no more, Marie is perfect! 😊.
An architect in her day-to-day life and an avid skydiver in her free time, Marie has seamlessly blended her professional career with her love for the skies. Her journey in skydiving began serendipitously through a tandem jump which quickly evolved into a deep-seated passion.
TI Patrick didn’t think they were going to get out.
With almost 4,500 jumps to her name in the 9 years since she started skydiving, she has carved out a significant niche in the world of skydiving, particularly in wingsuiting. And no, wingsuiting was not the goal from the start. “Wingsuits scared me 😁, hearing people talk about strait jackets and all” she recalls.
Marie is a dedicated coach, navigating the challenges of this activity with resilience and a commitment to excellence. Marie’s story is one of perseverance, passion, and a constant quest for growth, that lead to organizing of the 2023 Women’s Wingsuit World Record and the 2024 Vertical Wingsuit World Record.
We’ve loved the chance to catch up with her 😊.
I love the wingsuit vertical record! How did you come to do this type of record?
It’s relatively new in the FAI sporting code. Horizontal records have been around for a while, where all wingsuiters are flying in the same horizontal plane with a camera flyer positioned above. However, over time, enthusiasm for horizontal records has started to fade.
As wingsuit technology has progressed, participants have been flying larger suits, allowing for more dynamic movement, with a growing interest in vertical and multi-point formations.
Recognizing that vertical, ‘stacked’ flying was generating more excitement, a few of us began wondering if we could apply a similar record structure to vertical formations. Could we simply change the group’s orientation and adjust the camera flyer’s position while maintaining the integrity of the record framework? We weren’t reinventing the wheel, but the idea of vertical records was new
In February of 2024, the FAI ISC officially approved vertical and sequential ws records at the international level, with the USPA following suit later that same month.
Okay, when you say “we,” who are you specifically referring to? Were you part of the group that promoted this change?
I’d like to think so. I wasn’t singular in making this happen. I was curious to see if it could be a thing. There were several people in the community who were interested enough to offer encouragement, input, and feedback.
It was a collective effort. From the few conversations I had, there was enough interest within the community to make it worth putting in the time and effort towards the documentation needed and the process of approval. We tested different formations and camera positions at practice events leading up to the Women’s Record attempt. These images became a part of the presentation outlining the style and parameters of the record type to the FAI.
Video – Vertical Wingsuit Record
What was the greatest challenge for you as an organizer during these events?
Everything that leads up to the event is where most of the work is, in my opinion. The event itself should ideally be on autopilot.
Creating a group that is successful requires a decent amount of forethought on the hopeful melding of different personalities along with actual piloting skillsets. Psychology plays a huge role in putting big formations together well.
For me personally, the biggest challenge is probably enjoying the execution of the actual event; not being too stressed or too tired to be able to have fun.
What did you learn along the way?
I think the most important thing I’ve learned is to be more willing to ask for help from my friends. The recent 2024 vertical formation record was a team effort in making it successful; with notable honorable mentions of Will Kitto, Val Sobol, Nikko Mamallo, Alex Swindle, and the local Perris load organizing team that tackled random event needs and/or slots and excelled.
“Marie is awesome! I was lucky enough to get to work with her on the recent 2024 Vertical Wingsuit Record. Her strategy for the wingsuit record event was the same as how she handles most things: work 3 times harder than anyone else, all while having fun and making it look easy. Marie has one of the best approaches to skydiving, in a nutshell: “be as prepared as possible.” She is always trying to learn more and improve her skills through practice, study, and a quest for a fuller understanding, even in areas where she is an expert. We should all try to be more like Marie!”
Will Kitto
After putting in all that energy and effort, is it worth it in the end? What do you think?
I usually finish an event thinking “That was exhausting – I’m not doing that again!” Or at least, “It’ll be a while before I do that again.” But then, inevitably, I find myself doing it all over again, because I really do enjoy it.
Organizing events takes a lot of work, but I’m a pretty organized person. I can break tasks down and make things happen without too much stress. While it does require time, energy, and careful planning, I enjoy the build up.
It’s all worth it if other people are improving, or if they walk away from an event or a world record achieved feeling stoked about something they never thought was possible. Seeing that excitement and sense of accomplishment in others is really rewarding.
But yeah, it’s also exhausting!
You always seem to be juggling a lot of balls – work, skydiving, organizing, family – what’s driving you? How do you make them all work?
Copious amounts of caffeine. Can’t stop, won’t stop. Work hard, play harder. This week I’m running on about four hours of sleep a night. That’s just how I operate. Every once in a while, I crash and sleep for 12 hours, but then I’m right back to getting four hours of sleep again. I definitely do NOT have work-life balance. It’s just 150% in all categories. I’m working on correcting that.
That said, I am considering taking more of a backseat in 2025. I’ve been heavily involved in different aspects of the sport over the last few years, and now there are things I’d like to just participate in rather than organize. I’m especially excited about giving performance flying a real try and attending as many CRW events as I can.
Of course, I’ll still load organize when I can. But I’ve realized that sometimes it’s good to take a step back and go into “student mode.” For me, challenges bring clarity in priorities, which can make things more fun in removing some of the stress of trying to be perfect or the best. Honestly, I think we should all do that from time to time; try something new and struggle a bit to get better at it. Get out of our comfort zone.
What wingsuit coaching advice do you repeat most often?
Relax and fly your body. You need an awareness of what all your body parts are doing.
Be active, not passive, but there’s no need to be rigid. Go with the flow. Feel the suit.
Fighter pilots aren’t made overnight, so enjoy the journey. Grow in the suit.
Do you find it challenging being a female coach in a male-dominated discipline?
I don’t think too much about it. If someone doesn’t know me or doesn’t want to get coaching from me, that’s totally fine. I enjoy flying under the radar in skydiving. Less stress! I don’t do this for a living. I’m intentionally dragging my feet getting brought out into the spotlight. There are so many talented coaches out there, male and female, far elevated above me. If you want the best of the best, don’t find me, find them 😊. But if someone does want to talk to me, I’m more than willing to share what knowledge I might have.
What do you think is the biggest wingsuit-related safety issue?
Upsizing due to ego and ‘Keeping up with the Jones’s’, rather than upsizing corresponding to your skillset.
What can be done by all of us to make this discipline safer?
Finding the range of your suit, the top-top along with the bottom-bottom.
Are there particular moments that stand out as major learning experiences?
Getting hit in the head hard twice while load organizing has definitely had an impact on me (no pun intended!). I learned a lot from both instances.
Working to create vertical wingsuit records, then trying to figure out how to organize them and coach proficiency and excellence in achieving them. Sometimes I wasn’t sure what to say to make some aspect better. I was figuring it out as we went.
What is your favorite achievement?
The two wingsuit records I’ve been a part of certainly make the list. And getting into CRW, which is a discipline that also scares me a bit. CRW is humbling, just like wingsuiting still often is. I am enjoying all of those challenges and growth goals a lot right now.
The FAI ISC just had their annual meeting last month [January 2025] in Rome. What do you think about the wingsuit-related changes?
The biggest change I know of is the introduction of a separate performance women’s subclass. Female competitors can still compete in the open class alongside men, but there’s also a dedicated ranking for the top three female flyers, with medals awarded for first, second, and third place. I think it is a great addition to the discipline.
Is this part of the reason you’re considering trying out performance flying?
Yes, absolutely! It’s exciting. I’m 5’-2 and weigh 110 pounds, so I don’t necessarily match up well against a 6’-3”, 220-pound competitor in most performance categories. Having the opportunity to compete against other women is great. Of course, I might still end up competing against a 6’-3”, 220-pound female! Regardless, it’s nice to have a dedicated category, like so many other international sports.
I recently had my first real experience with performance flying. I had never tried it before, but Amelia Dunaway organized a beginner-friendly women’s camp to try it out. She brought in top flyers like Chris Geiler, along with some great camera flyers to capture debriefing footage. We got to experiment with distance, time, and speed, which was really cool. I did the camp in my current wingsuit, Squirrel’s Creature. It was a challenging weekend. I was sore for two days afterward!
I’m looking forward to dipping my toe into the competition scene. I plan to fly the biggest suit I’ve ever flown and see how it goes. My first real competition will hopefully be in the C-Race. From there, I’ll work on progressing as needed.
Are you aiming for Nationals this year?
I’d love to, but it’s a bit of a challenge. I do a fair amount of CRW (canopy relative work), and unfortunately, USPA Nationals has scheduled CRW and wingsuiting at the same time this year. The good news is they’re both happening at the same location, so I’ll have to decide how much I’m willing to push myself to compete in both disciplines in the same week, or if that’s even possible.
Right now, I’m planning to make it work. Even if I don’t place in performance wingsuiting, the experience will be extremely valuable. I just want to get out there, compete, and see how it goes. Have fun trying something new, that pushes my comfort zone.
How did you get into CRW?
A few friends who were in the CRW scene recommended it to me. Canopy flying was the area of skydiving I knew the least about, yet it’s also the most critical. Your canopy is what saves your life every single time. CRW became an opportunity to really refine my canopy control.
The canopies we use in CRW aren’t sporty or aggressive. They’re stable and docile. The discipline gave me a chance to work on precise front risers, rear risers, and toggle control. Instead of being intimidated by my canopy, I’m learning how to use these control points with greater efficiency and proficiency. Now I’m developing a real passion for it.
The great thing about skydiving is that there’s no reason to ever get bored. There are so many different disciplines and aspects to explore. That’s what I’m trying to do now; fully immerse myself in different worlds within skydiving.
Whom do you admire, who are your mentors and who have you learned the most from?
Val Sobol, Will Kitto, Dan Dupuis, Scotty Bob. I really lucked out on who I was surrounded by starting out in the sport!
I honestly also spend a lot of time learning from the rest of the WS LO/Coach team at Perris too. I know I had a decent role in developing the current team, but I have learned a lot from each of them in exchange over the years too. Every single one of them. It’s been a lot of fun.
Do you have a motto, or favorite quotation?
Skydiving-related? It’s not a quote from someone else, but something I think and say a lot, sometimes to myself. Maybe mostly to myself, “Be a F*cking Athlete!” The phrase refers to someone that complains about others, or about less than ideal conditions/scenarios, or cannot move on/move forward from a situation. Especially in competitions and high-performance situations, which require mental toughness along with a requirement for physical skill. Be an athlete. Be tough and breathe. Excellence requires elasticity (learn and bounce back) and resiliency (learn and move forward).
Another favorite is, “It’s a Trap” – General Ackbar, Star Wars 😊. It’s something I chuckle about a lot, in many arenas, with loaded questions and ‘asks’.
What’s your pet hate? Inside and outside the sport.
Loaded compliments given. Being asked to do more under the guise of “you’re so great at X”, because people are often too lazy to do it themselves. I know I’m great at X. That doesn’t mean I want to or should always have to be the one to do it. That’s how I’ll end up overworked and eventually burn out.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less.
Hard-working, Caring, Weird, Expressive (which sometimes comes across as pointed. People usually know what I’m thinking or feeling. My facial expressions don’t keep secrets well. 😉)
Who are your sponsors?
Squirrel, UPT, L&B, Skydive Perris. Skydive Perris has supported me a lot in the events I’ve done, as my home DZ.
Marie is a star. Whether it’s her own progression within a particular discipline, or organizing world class events she puts 110% into everything she does. And she does a lot!
Dan BC
So, what’s next?
Honestly, for 2025 I’m trying to take a bit of a break from organizing and grinding out the every-weekend skydiving/wingsuiting roles.
I do love wingsuiting, so that is going to stay in my life. I’ll probably continue to try and guide advancement in WS record opportunities, or more specifically hone the proficiency and pursuit of excellence demonstrated in how WS records are judged.
Outside of wingsuiting, I’m intending to focus on CRW big way formation skills. Get comfortable touching lines and nylon in quick-build, close proximity!
“Marie has always been driven to support others in the sport, whether through coaching, mentoring, or simply being a great friend. Her energy, kindness, and constant focus on helping others shine through in everything she does. I’m incredibly proud of all she’s accomplished and excited to see what she achieves next!”
Val Sobol
