Ann McCallum Staats - Thrill Seekers: 15 Remarkable Women in Extreme Sports

Copyright 2021 by Ann McCallum Staats

All rights reserved

First edition

Published by Chicago Review Press Incorporated

814 North Franklin Street

Chicago, Illinois 60610

ISBN 978-1-64160-480-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020951039

Cover, Illustrations, and Interior design: Sadie Teper

Printed in the United States of America

5 4 3 2 1

To everyone who was ever my studentyou know who you are.

What if you could:

Fly over trees and fields, soaring through the air as if you were a bird?

Swim underwater past dozens of thousand-pound sharks?

Spin off a snow-covered jump, rotating into a double flip and landing with perfect precision?

Unthinkable? Impossible? Not to the women in this book. These are women whose determination, grit, and courage have propelled each of them into lives of extraordinary risks and rewards. But what drives them? What makes Faith Dickey balance on a narrow band of webbing thousands of feet in the air? How does Kristin Knight Pace travel by dogsled through some of the coldest and most hostile wilderness on the planet? Does Brittany Leavitt ever think twice before she scrambles up a near vertical rock face with nothing but her own strength to power her to the top?

The women in this book are not superhumans, and theyre not fearless. They experience doubts and are often uncomfortable, even afraid. The difference is that they have learned to assess their uncertainty. If theres a real and legitimate danger, they will make a rational decision to stop. However, being frightened of the what-ifs doesnt count. Instead, Bethany Hamilton will take on a killer wave, using its crushing force to surf a ride that is as exhilarating as it is life changing. Angela Hawse will trek to the top of the worlds highest and most treacherous mountains to earn a breath of the most pristine air on earth. And Lizzie Armanto will attempt a mind-boggling kickflip, pushing aside the possibility of failure and going at it until she gets it right. How do they do it? And why? Maybe their motivation comes from achieving something that makes them feel ultra-aliveperhaps its because not doing it would be like living life from behind a curtain.

Each of these action adventurers comes from humble roots. None had it easy, and none had lives without struggle and personal sacrifice. Yet each is an inspiration, a bulls-eye of audacity and bold resolve. To every reader of this book: Buckle up for a wild and thrilling ride. May you feel inspiration and awe as you pedal, vault, carve, run, fly, steer, and plunge your way through these real-life adventures.

What do you long to do? Three, two, one! Go for it!

Roberta Mancino zipped the arms of her wingsuit closed, the thrill of what she was about to do causing her heart to beat faster. In just a few moments she would be jumping from the helicopter in the specially designed suit that would allow her to glide horizontally, the closest a human being could get to flying like a bird. With fabric wings stretched between her arms and legs, the increased surface area would allow her to soar for miles before having to deploy the parachute strapped to her back. She adjusted her goggles next, necessary to protect her eyes from the force of the windalong with the sulfur-laced smoke infusing the air below her. Roberta was about to fly directly over an active volcano.

Villarrica is a classic cone-shaped mountain towering 9,341 feet (2,847 m) above sea level in Chile. When Roberta gazed at it from the open door of the helicopter, she noted that it was dotted with snow, though the top opened to a pit of glowing orange lava. If she could have measured its temperature, she would have found that this molten rock was over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (540C). Not only thatsince it was active, the colorful magma could spew upward at any time.

When Roberta first arrived in the country, the locals told her that Villarrica had another name. They called the volcano Rucapilln, a Mapuche word for devils house. Todays flight would be historic. Never before had anyone attempted to fly a wingsuit over Villarrica. Never before had a woman flown over any active volcano. Robertas bright red wingsuit was equipped with cameras. She had one on her helmet along with another attached to the torso of her suit. Her team had cameras, toothey didnt want to miss recording a second.

The stunt was dangerous, but Roberta and her team had planned meticulously, like they always did, first securing permission from their host country and then calculating the many logistical issues that could affect the flight, such as wind speed and altitude. It would be a long glide, too. Roberta needed to get off the mountain and its lava fields and fly to a secure landing area in the rocky plain below. She had no reserve parachute with her; there was no point. By the time it was safe to land, it would be too late to deploy a second chute.

Dont fly too close, one of the locals had advised her earlier. Hold your breath for a few seconds when you go over the top. It was a reminder that the volcano was active and that the mountain was constantly discharging noxious gases and heat. But Roberta and her team had lucked out. So far, the volcano was calm that day. The weather conditions were perfect, too.

Roberta stepped outside the helicopter and balanced for a moment on a narrow platform built over the wheel. It was time. She dropped into the air, spreading her arms and legs to engage the wings of her suit. With wrists bent, she gripped the sides of the arm wings to keep them as rigid as possible. The heart of the volcano roiled red and orange below her, and turbulence from the terrific heat gave her extra lift. She was flying!

Roberta Mancino has received worldwide recognition as a model, skydiver, wingsuit flyer, and BASE jumper (BASE jumping is taking off from a stationary object on earth rather than jumping from an airplane or helicopter). Born on August 3, 1980, Roberta grew up in Anzio, Italy, about 30 miles (48 km) south of Rome along the coast. She had an active childhood, starting with dance classes at the age of four. Her training in classical ballet and Latin American salsa helped her later when she participated in freestyle skydiving, a subgenre of the sport that involves acrobatic maneuvers during free fall.

When she was 15, Roberta had her first boyfriend, a boxer who introduced her to his gym. There she tried boxing and kickboxing for the first time. It was just what her energetic body craved. Practicing for hours every day, she earned a black belt in mixed martial arts.

Roberta was swimming one day when a scout approached her and asked if she wanted to try modeling. She said yes and participated in her first modeling gig at the age of 16. It was fun, but it wasnt enough. Roberta continued to try different adventure sports such as scuba diving and paragliding. At her modeling sessions, the director would frown over the inevitable bumps and bruises on Robertas body. As the team covered the marks with makeup, he admonished her, No sports for two weeks before the next shoot.