Nothing could stop these determined women from achieving their goals
Our foremothers, who led the fight for the rights that women embrace today, did not win overnight. It was a constant uphill battle with failures and hurdles along the way, and yet, there were still grand leaps forward in progression. Nothing deterred these ladies from seeing it through.
Perseverance
Just like these unwavering women who persevered, local and out-of-state ladies assembled at Skydive Deland, despite the ominous weather forecast, to answer the call to keep the Project 19 mission alive, to continue to inspire the next generation of skydivers, and keep lighting the flame of empowerment.
Lofty Goals
On March 17-19, 2023, the Joy Riders (Anna Moxnes, Domi Kiger, Sharon Har-Noy Pilcher, and Louise Kristensen) brought 26 lady skydivers together with the goal to set a new Florida record for the largest female head-down formation and potentially a new sequential record. It was not an easy task.
Motivation
The group was working at 15,000 feet with a Twin Otter for the lead plane and a PAC 750 for the trail plane. The PAC can be a particularly challenging exit for big-ways. They had to face the poor elements of nature with great fortitude and patience. However, the Joy Riders kept up relentless motivation amongst the women with their words of encouragement, poolside fun, yoga experiences, and comradery at brunch.
Florida State Record 1 – Largest HD Formation!
By virtue of the ladies’ unflinching determination and ability to keep their spirits high, 22 women broke the Florida record for largest female head-down formation on the second official attempt!
Florida State Records 2 and 3!
As the weekend progressed, the weather once again tried to discourage these strong-willed women. Nevertheless, their resilience persisted, and they came through with two more record-setting sequential jumps: a 2-point 6-way female state record and a 2-point 13-way general state record.
2-point 13-way state record
Great Joy!
The joy and excitement were palpable! A few of these ladies were not able to make it on the Project 19 jumps in November 2022 but were now able to set their first records. These achievements are evidence that there is no end to the magic and momentum of Project 19, this is only the beginning!
The Team
Charlie Kenlin and Phil Marrs, the pilots, also contributed to the success of the weekend through their incredible aviation talents. Of course, the records could not have been realized without the skills and abilities of the cameraflyers, Camron Haley and Roberto Hernandez, and the expertise of head judge MaryLou Laughlin with the support of S&TA Carlos Cribas. Thanks to all who were involved!
