Qld: Women parachutists claim record

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2007
Qld: Women parachutists claim record

By Nikki Todd

BRISBANE, April 28 AAP - A group of women skydivers, including two grandmothers, claim
to have broken a national record for their 17-person formation jump near Brisbane today.

The record was the third to fall at the week-long Skysisters Symposium, an international
skydiving competition held at Toogoolawah, north-west of Brisbane.

The event, to encourage and support female skydivers, drew more than 100 entrants from
across Australia and as far afield as the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and the
United Kingdom.

Today's record jump involved 17 women - all 40 years old or more and part of the international
group POPS (Parachutists Over Phorty Society).

They topped a record set by 16 women two years ago.

Jumping from a small plane from 15,000 feet above sea-level, they manoeuvred into a
circular formation, with two side links.

Participant Kelly Graham, a new member at 40 years, said the jump was exhilarating.

"This has been the most incredible week," Ms Graham said.

"There have been achievements left, right and centre. Today is the last day and I got a record!"

Ms Graham said today's jump was their third attempt at the record.

"We had two attempts a couple of days ago and were so close each time, it was just
a magical feeling when we finally got there," she said.

The record will be submitted to relevant authorities to ratify the jump.

Earlier this week, the symposium claimed a world record for women wingsuit fliers with
participants executing a perfect "eight-way flock".

The women also performed an Australian first for "canopy relative work" when five participants
linked up their parachutes in a stack formation.

AAP nt/cjh/mn

KEYWORD: SKY

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.