I had been her Twitter follower for months since we’re both in the social media world due to our very similar jobs, and when I heard she was getting into skydiving I was beyond excited for her. She’s quickly become one of my favorite Skydive Chicks, with enough enthusiasm and passion for the sport to show just about any jumper up. She’s smart, witty, strong and adorable! Needless to say, I absolutely adore this girl!

But you’ve heard enough from me, let’s here it from HER. Ladies and gentlemen: Sydney Owen.

*cheers*

SDC: Alright lady, so tell us a little about how you got into the sport – what’s your story on how you fell in love?

SO: On what was formerly the best day of my life (since replaced by AFF graduation) I decided to go jump out of a perfectly good airplane at Skydive Space Center in Titusville, FL. The second my feet safely landed back on the earth, I swore that I would do this someday. My someday came this March, when I did another tandem, this time at Skydive Temple. I thought to myself, think about how badass it would be to jump out of perfectly good planes on EVERY business trip I went on. As soon as I got back home to Chicago, I started researching local drop zones and decided to check out Chicagoland Skydiving Center with a buddy of mine. One more tandem later, I was enrolled in AFF and doing ground school. The rest, as they say, is history.

SDC: Such similar stories. LOVE IT. So where’s your home dropzone?

SO: Home DZ is CSC, in the bustling metropolis of Hinckley, Illinois.

SDC: Have you been to any other DZs yet? If not, do you plan to in the near future?

SO: I’ve been to SDC for their fireworks display (totally sick) but haven’t jumped anywhere beyond Space Center, Skydive Temple and CSC. But we did do a sick formation fly by as we arrived at SDC, so that was almost as awesome as jumping there.

SDC: You have so much passion for this sport and such an incredible attitude! I speak for myself when I say I was immediately drawn to you, so I can imagine that the skydiving community has welcomed you with open arms. How has your transition from the “real world” to this whole new community been for you?

SO: Good question, and thank you! I’d go out on a limb and say that the skydiving community is my real world. I can be me, with no restraints, truly Sydney: Unfiltered around the DZ. I’m not sure if it’s just CSC, but I feel like those people are quickly becoming my family. There are so many rockstar skydivers there – and everyone is eager to help me learn. It’s funny, in my latest blog post I said how there’s a low tolerance for bullshit and assholes, and a bunch of the jumpers from CSC commented and were telling me I have a lot to learn. I guess that’s where the “real world” part of it comes into play. I work in such a fast-paced, high-stress environment, that the DZ drama seem so pale in comparison.

SDC: Given that you’re a typical type A, like the rest of us skydivers (and marketers), have you found that this sport has changed your attitude toward life at all?

SO: I’m much more mellow. Which I haven’t decided if that’s a good thing or a bad thing yet. Skydiving has made me realize that most of my “emergencies” before joining the sport were actually not even close to being emergencies. I think this has helped me keep a level head, especially at work, to realize, okay, this isn’t a life or death situation like your line-over mal was last weekend. Lesson learned: there is always a solution. No need for panicking.

SDC: You’re still so new to the sport but there’s so much you can teach others given that you’re fresh out of Freefall University. What’s been the best piece of advice you’ve received so far?

SO: The best advice I’ve received so far has to be broken into two categories: directly related to skydiving and general philosophical advice that, though it’s from a skydiver (my amazing AFF instructor, Barry), can be applied to your life both in the sky and on the ground.

First bit, skydiving related: locate your reserve handle before you pull your cutaway handle. One of my instructors, Chris, told me this as we were doing my gear check before my AFF level one jump, as he had a malfunction, cutaway, couldn’t get to his reserve handle, and his CYPRES saved his life. So, biggest thing there: know where your handle is before you pull it.

As for Barry’s latest nugget of wisdom (he’s been throwing several at me lately): Time is all in your head. Live in the moment and time doesn’t exist. Heavy stuff, right? My favorite phrase is “Is it Friday yet” and I oftentimes ask Barry (and my other instructors) to speed up the week so I can get back in the air. But, if you live in the moment, then the rest doesn’t really matter. I’m currently testing this philosophy, I’ll let you know how it turns out.

SDC: What’s been the most memorable experience?

SO: My graduation jump was most definitely my most memorable experience in skydiving so far. I think about that jump and just get giggly and glowing and feel a real sense of pride for all that I’ve accomplished in the sport so far. Second to that would be my cutaway – which happened early in my AFF training, on my second coaching jump. I just remember looking up at the canopy and thinking about the flash cards we reviewed in ground school: “what is this called and how do I get out of it?” I was totally calm, landed the reserve ride and got a bunch of high fives from everyone on the ground.

SDC: What are you looking forward to most this season?

SO: Beyond looking forward to learning as much as humanly possible, I want to find gear of my own. And road trip it out to Colorado for some tunnel time. And continue to build on the friendships I’ve started with the people at the DZ.

SDC: What are some of your goals as a newbie skydiver and where do you see this taking you in the future?

SO: I want to learn skills that will eventually lead to me either A) being an AFF instructor or B) totally rocking the sky in general, and eventually being some kind of coach/instructor/skydiving badass that is totally worth sponsoring. I’m not going to lie, I’m most definitely one of those people that, in 30 years, you’ll meet around a bonfire talking about the days of old and my extensive career in the sky. I want this to be my life. I’m okay with the gypsie lifestyle. I just need to get myself in a place that will allow me to do that.

SDC: Anything else to add?

SO: Um, you’re pretty much my life twin, and I totally love you and your blog and your pictures of you being all fabulous in freefall and I CAN’T WAIT TO JUMP WITH YOU. Okay, inside voice.