7 jumps, 7 continents, 7 days: Veterans train in Arizona for world record skydiving attempt

COOLIDGE, Ariz. – A gaggle of daring veterans have been getting ready for weeks in Coolidge, Arizona for the stunt of a lifetime: they’re trying to set a world file in skydiving.

Seven jumps, seven continents, seven days.

It is a workforce of 10 veterans, all retired or former particular operations personnel. They usually’re able to tackle the Triple 7 Expedition.

“Triple 7 is leaping all seven continents and mainly the quickest time you could,” mentioned skydiver Mike Sarraille. “Nobody has ever achieved it. We’re beginning in Antarctica, then going to South America, Miami, Barcelona, Egypt, UAE, ending in Perth. We’re coming again for a celebratory leap in Tampa, Florida.”

Sarraille is a Marine and Navy veteran and the founding father of Legacy Expeditions, an excessive journey firm run by veterans, for veterans.

He is main this fearless group in an journey that’s about greater than setting a file. Every workforce member is leaping for a veteran who gave their life in service.

“Whenever you lose brothers, you undergo a course of, and that course of by no means actually stops,” Sarraille mentioned. “[It] leaves a fingerprint on you that by no means goes away. They need us to dwell, and we’re going to try this to the fullest, and if we will inform their story whereas we do it, then that’s a victory.

“I’m leaping in honor of NA2 to Michael Monsoor, who’s a SEAL who’s posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for leaping on a grenade 3 ft from me,” he continued. “He gave his life for me.”

The workforce has spent weeks coaching on the Full Parachute Options Facility (CPS) in Coolidge.

“They’re going to be leaping as a workforce wherever they go,” mentioned Hugh Funk, workforce chief at CPS. “At some areas they’re going to have an enormous plane that may accommodate all the workforce, and a few areas could have a smaller plane [and] should cut up it into two teams. This week we’ve been working towards each of these profiles.”

Funk says the workforce will keep in shut proximity, with essentially the most skilled jumper main.

The logistics of all 7 jumps have been designed and deliberate in a method to make sure success, that means the world file of six jumps in six days on six continents could be beat.

“The largest factor that we’ll most likely be coping with from an adversarial perspective is sleep deprivation,” mentioned jumper Glenn Cowan.

For skydiver Jariko Denman, the expedition is supposed to encourage.

“A byproduct of this expedition is to proceed to encourage the subsequent era of veterans to exit and do massive issues,” Denman mentioned. “Your service doesn’t finish while you cease serving in no matter your department of the army.”

Sarraille says all of the jumpers will acquire one thing totally different, however all will give a bit of themselves like their fellow veterans did.”

“It’s a leap of gratitude, I do know Antarctica particularly I’ll be fascinated by Mikey and his household and the truth that I am alive, and I get to do that due to him and his household,” Sarraille mentioned. “The individuals who raised him to be the person, selfless man that he was.”

The workforce leaves for Chile on Dec. 29. The try and set the file will start in Antarctica on Jan. 9.

Along with their world file try, the workforce is elevating cash to fund 1400 scholarships for Gold Star Households with the Folds of Honor Basis.

Observe the workforce: https://legacyexpeditions.internet/expedition/triple7/

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