Skydivers kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with record setting jump in Perris

  • Published
  • By Major Andra Higgs
  • 4th Air Force Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  Above the shimmering horizon, skydivers jumped from nine aircraft into a perfect blue sky. 

The massing formation of 181 women resembled the start of a universe as they swam through the air, linking hands. 

Their 120-mph destination: Mother Earth, 17,000 feet below. Their goal: a female formation skydiving world record, and raising awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. 

"I am still surprised at how cool it is to do such a big formation of all women," said Jennifer Wrynn, an Air Force Reserve major currently assigned at the United States Air Force Academy. She serves as a T-41 instructor pilot and an instructor with the USAFA Wings of Blue Parachute Team. 

The Jump for the Cause event brought 181 female skydivers from 31 countries together Sept. 21-27 at Perris Valley Skydiving Center approximately 15 miles south of March ARB. Jump for the Cause is a sky diving nonprofit organization (www.jumpforthecause.com). The skydivers cumulatively raised a record $900,000 for the City of Hope's breast cancer research center in northeast Los Angeles County. 

"What we're doing here is making more people aware of breast cancer," said Major Wrynn. "If one person gets the disease, it affects 10 other people." 

Battling on the side of those impacted by the disease were the 181 warriors of the sky as they practiced tirelessly together. 

Accelerating to speeds beyond 120 mph, split-second decisions and positioning are imperative for success. The sky divers must shift body positions to speed or slow their movement as they locate the base of the formation and move into their pre-assigned space. 

"Mentally and physically, you have to perform at your best," said Major Wrynn. "As more people enter the formation, you can feel the tension and the force of the group as the surging tries to force apart your hold." 

The formation rehearsed with practice jumps and by "dirt diving," where the formation is simulated on the ground by using sliding carts, similar to vehicle mechanics' creepers. The circular formation had six legs (known as whackers). The carefully arranged pink, yellow, white and blue jumpsuits helped the skydivers orient themselves. 

For Major Wrynn, finding her position also meant finding the woman in the pink jumpsuit wearing a helmet with a huge pair of pink lips on the back. 

"It gives you bragging rights to be in the formation, but it is only because you have a commitment to safety," she said. "There is no star here. Everyone has to fly their slots and no one person is successful unless we all accomplish what we set out to do." 

Part festival, part party, part family reunion, the women in attendance, whose occupations ranged from brick layer to brain surgeon, made a colorful and sizzling fashion statement matched only by the triple-digit Inland Empire desert temperatures the week of the jump. 

Less fashionable in military fatigues, but no less committed, was Staff Sgt. Jeremy Fontes, 452nd Maintenance Squadron, who was invited to 'jump for the cause' after Airmen in his squadron, family members and friends donated to the event in his name. He reflected upon his mother having a "scare with breast cancer" years prior. 

"All I could think about when I came out of the door was I hope the parachute opens," he said. "It's a great cause to donate to. It was breathtaking. I told my mom and wife to work up the courage to come out and watch," said Sergeant Fontes. 

Being selected to participate in Jump for the Cause had everything to do with a skydiver's reputation for skill, precision and excellence. A personal invitation for each of the 200 participants was accompanied with a requirement to raise at least $3,500 for breast cancer research. 

For Major Wrynn, considerable community support from family and friends ensured she reached that goal through fundraising events, raffles and donations. 

"I think she's crazy for jumping out of a perfectly good airplane," said Patrick Wrynn, jokingly referring to his wife's efforts. A former Air Force U-2 pilot, Patrick Wrynn is now a commercial airline instructor pilot. 

"I completely and totally join her in this great effort to raise money for this debilitating disease. What she's doing is incredible and I can't describe how happy I am that she's able to participate," said Patrick Wrynn. 

Chaplain (Col.) Raymond Hagan, 4th Air Force, urges a family based ministerial approach to supporting the disease. His wife, Libby, is currently recovering from a double mastectomy. 

"When it's someone in your family who has the disease, it's, essentially, your disease too. It's during this time that we're reminded of the importance of people not being alone and for the patient to know there is someone who will always be there with them," said Libby Hagan. 

According to the National Cancer Institute, 211,000 women will learn they have the disease each year. 

"For me, one of the most important things was to educate myself on the disease and treatment options and to feel I had found good and experienced doctors to take care of me," said Libby Hagan. "There are multiple options for treatment and trying to make decisions at a time of such emotional stress can be overwhelming. Once you have a plan in place, you can deal with one step at a time to get you through and then it becomes more manageable. Somewhere in the process you adjust to the "new normal", you see your future again and the thoughts of cancer occupy a smaller place in your mind." 

Back in the air, at 17,000 feet, the formation approaches its release point. Flying a V-formation, the nine aircraft resemble migrating geese with a "skyvan" - a little clam-shell looking contraption - leading the way for eight other Twin-Otter aircraft. From the air, the view south is toward San Diego, east is toward Palm Desert, west is toward the Pacific Ocean and north is toward March Air Reserve Base. 

The view directly below is toward the parceled land that is the Mecca of skydiving. The Perris, Calif., skydiving and wind-tunnel operation, is to the sport of skydiving what Fenway Park is to baseball, what Augusta National is to golf, what Wimbledon is to tennis. 

Whether it's celebrities filming a movie, ad execs making a commercial, recreational jumpers, a seasoned pros or novice first-timers, "This is the place," said Michael Haire, Air Force Reserve colonel, assigned to Northern Command. The athletic, outside-linebacker sized parachutist was there supporting the Jump for the Cause event. "The best jumpers in the world come here. This is it." 

After a jump, preparation, loading and the takeoff climb-out to jump altitude takes about two hours, including debrief. As the week drew to an end and fewer jumps remained to in the attempt to break the record, underperforming women were singled out and the debriefs became edgier. 

"You have to plan the jump and then jump the plan," said Sue Wasserman, a recently retired colonel from the Air National Guard. She formerly worked at March with AFRC's 4th Combat Camera Squadron. 

She now resides in Qatar and traveled halfway around the world to participate in this event. "It doesn't matter if you get 175 or 180 people in place, if the plan called for 181 and everyone didn't get the exact hold they briefed the judges on, then it's not a record." 

Video and still imagery indicated that a world record had been consistently within one or two missed grasps. The news whipped around the room as the debrief was translated in Russian, Portuguese and Spanish. 

"Right here, right now - this skydive - my personal best," was the call raised by Kate Cooper-Jensen, a lead organizer with Jump for the Cause. She is also one of the world's leading skydivers and considered a guru in the sport. 

Cooper-Jensen repeated the chant a second, third, fourth time, until, like a fire-and-brimstone preacher on a hot-summer day, the call and response from this congregation, 181 female skydivers, erupted into a reverberating cheer of attack. 

"The most important thing is timing -- it is just critical when you're using multiple aircraft," said Maj. Wrynn, "This experience is really about developing a whole new trust for people you work with to accomplish a goal." 

"My goal is to do something to beat the disease that beat my mother," said Mallory Lewis, co-founder of the event that has raised over $2 million for the City of Hope in four Jump for the Cause events (1999, 2002, 2005 and 2009). Mallory Lewis is the daughter of Shari Lewis, the famed puppeteer and creator of Lamb Chop. Shari Lewis who succumbed to breast cancer in 1998. 

"In principle, this is about making an impact on breast cancer and part of that is raising awareness for women to go get mammograms," Mallory Lewis said. 

Just after noon on Sept. 26, the giant voice at the airfield directed all women to the put on their jumpsuits and report immediately under the big tent. 

It appeared the rumor circulating the grounds was correct. The record attempt was missed by one grip. They would have to try again. The tension was mounting. There was open speculation that someone would be replaced on the spot, in front of her peers. 

There would only be two, possibly three, more attempts before the window of opportunity for the record was shut. The physical toll of making four, five jumps per day for a week was taking a toll on the women. 

"Part of being on the team is being in the right place at the right time," Cooper-Jensen said to the gathered women. 

Then she dropped the bombshell: "We did it for the second time today." 

With that, officials came onto a platform with still photos of both new world record attempts from earlier that day. The women began hugging, dancing, crying. There were whistling joy, pumping hands and waving flags. The 181 skydivers were wrapped in a huge pink cloth. 

"We did it, we did it," said Major Wrynn, cheering and embracing her fellow jumpers. 

"What we've been able to put together are the best female skydivers in the world, to raise awareness and to have fun," said Lewis, acknowledging that the 2009 Jump for the Cause may be the last. "The dedication and passion these women bring to this event is inspiring - all nationalities and religious differences have been put aside to fight the common enemy - breast cancer." 

" But," Lewis said, "one of the great secrets my in life is to know when to leave the party."

Wounded Warriors Day at Jump for the Cure

The opening ceremony for the 2009 Jump for the Cause had a distinctively military theme. Sergeant First Class (Ret.) Dana Bowman, former Army Special Forces soldier and member of the U.S. Army's elite parachute team, The Golden Knights, parachuted a 1,000-square foot American Flag onto the grassy landing zone to open the Jump for the Cause 2009 event. In 1994, a mid-air parachuting collision cost him both of his legs. He highlighted a day when the women, organizers and supporters of Jump for the Cause, paid tribute to Wounded Warriors. "Take risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping," said Bowman to a crowd of several hundred attending the opening night banquet. He was surrounded on stage by nearly two dozen active-duty Marines, Wounded Warriors from Camp Pendleton. These Marines made tandem jumps as part of the event ceremony. "It's not what you do for a living that matters, it's what you live to do."