Long Island Skydiver Sets Second Skydiving World Record

East Moriches, NY - Joi Falk, of Long Island Skydiving Center, is no stranger to setting records. In 2003, Falk was chosen to fly in the base position on the first all female headdown skydiving world record attempt in Eloy, Arizona.

"The vibe for the record attempt in 2003 was amazing," said Falk. All the women were supportive of one another, even if they were not chosen to be on the record attempt jumps. We built a 16-way headdown formation but knew that we could break it if given another chance. This past weekend, we got our chance."

Almost 40 women from all over the world came together at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois to try out for the attempt which was held over a three day period.

Falk explains, "we had set the bar pretty high with 16 for the first record. The talent in Chicago was there, but there were a lot of nervous girls. It took us 10 skydives to break the record, but on jump 11 we did it. We built an 18-way headdown formation."

Falk has been skydiving for just four years, but during that time, learned some valuable lessons. With less than 800 jumps under her belt, every step is a learning experience.

"You have to respect the jumpers that have thousands of skydives and tons of experience. If you don't, you become intimidated and start to lose your focus. The mental aspect of the sport is more challenging than anything. I can't wait until the next record attempt. We are going to go big," Falk states.

During the time that Falk is not jumping, she is a school counselor at a middle school. Not just a skydiver, Falk holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications with a minor in Business. She also has a Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling.

"At Long Island Skydiving Center, I get the chance to meet the most incredible people. People trying our sport for the first time. Educating the general public about our sport is one of my favorite things. I think that most people have this notion that skydivers are crazy. I love to change that, one jumper at a time. My psych background tends to come in handy."

Long Island Skydiving Center would like to congratulate all the women from around the world who participated in the 2005 Women's Vertical Skydiving World Record:

Melissa Nelson - USA
Amy Chemlecki - USA
Sara Bennett - CANADA
Gigliola Borgnis - UK
Jules Christensen - USA
Sara Commandeur - GERMANY
Joi Falk - USA
Danielle Ford - USA
Kris Tangie - USA
Izzy Wheeler - AUSTRALIA
Kate Hoffstetter - USA
Brooke Schultz - USA
Jen Key - USA
Jessica McKellar - USA
Gillian Parker - USA
Libby Smith - USA
Laura Vago - ARGENTINA
Nancy Koreen - USA

If you would like more information about making your first skydive, please visit us online at www.LongIslandSkydiving.com
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