Skydiving sensations help retire club legend’s iconic #15 jersey by jumping into Lumen Field on Aug. 25
The Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, an elite all-female skydiving team focused on highlighting women’s rights initiatives, will fly into Lumen Field for the Seattle Reign FC vs. North Carolina Courage match on Sunday, Aug. 25. This match is dedicated to retiring club legend Megan Rapinoe’s iconic number 15 jersey to honor her illustrious career with the team. The skydivers will join the celebrations by delivering a spectacular aerial display complete with a RISE-branded flag and streamers, commemorating Rapinoe’s historic jersey retirement in a striking black and purple design. This jump will honor Rapinoe’s remarkable career and her contributions to human rights advocacy.
The team, composed of 13 women with an average of 20 years in the sport and 200,000 jumps among them, was formed to jump across America at events to elevate women’s rights and equality. Skydivers participating in this extraordinary tribute include Melanie Curtis, Keri Bell, Allison Reay, Kaz Sheekey and Amy Chmelecki. Representation and equality are important to Highlight, with only 14% of skydivers identifying as female, according to the United States Parachute Association (USPA).
“It’s an honor to get to help celebrate Megan Rapinoe’s retirement from soccer – an icon bigger than any sport. She is a force to be reckoned with and an exceptional role model because of her unwavering commitment to show up, use her voice and lead with integrity, edge and love. Her impact is felt now and will continue to be seen in future generations,” said Melanie Curtis, professional skydiver, co-founder of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, and advocate for women in sports. “We’re playing the long game to increase the percentage of women in our sport, ensuring that women and girls outside of skydiving see what’s possible for them through our example. No matter how we each are called to be a leader, it’s up to us – all of us – to keep showing up because what we can see, we can be.”
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) game between Seattle Reign and NC Courage will begin at 7 p.m. PDT on Sunday, Aug. 25. The skydivers will land on the field for Megan’s retirement ceremony approximately 40 minutes before kickoff, so fans are encouraged to get there early. Tickets are available at www.reignfc.com/megan-rapinoe-jersey-retirement-match.
Many of the skydivers are preparing for another exciting jump later this year called Stand Together. From Nov. 25-30, following a heated U.S. election, 100 of the best skydivers from around the world will join forces to attempt to set a new, 100-way “upright” world record. Half of Stand Together’s organizers are women, and the skydive formation’s “base” – the center where the strongest fliers are located – will be split 50/50 between men and women for the first time ever in the skydiving community. The goal is to amplify the message of everyone “standing together” to break this world record.
For more information about the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, visit www.highlightskydiving.com or follow along on Instagram and Facebook.
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About Highlight Pro Skydiving Team
The Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, named for using their high-flying talents to highlight and amplify important messages, is an all-female team of 13 highly skilled skydivers co-founded by professional skydivers Melanie Curtis and Amy Chmelecki. All team members hold the United States Parachute Association (USPA) PRO Rating, meaning they can safely fly and land in challenging areas and in close proximity to spectators. The inspiration for the Highlight team began after learning about the tenacious women who led the women’s suffrage movement 100 years ago that secured women’s right to vote in America. The idea was to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment in a way no one could ignore or soon forget. The Highlight team mission is to inspire all women to live bold, brave lives of their own design in skydiving and beyond.
About Seattle Reign FC
Seattle Reign FC was established in 2012 as a founding member of the National Women’s Soccer League. The Fourteen-team NWSL is widely considered to be the most competitive women’s professional soccer league in the world. Over its first 11 seasons, the club captured the NWSL Shield three times, while making three appearances in the NWSL Championship and seven appearances in the NWSL postseason. Reign FC plays its home matches at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington and trains at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington. The club can be found on the web at www.reignfc.com and on social platforms @ReignFC.
About USPA
Founded in 1946, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to the promotion of safe skydiving nationwide, establishing strict safety standards, training policies and programs at more than 200 USPA-affiliated skydiving schools and centers throughout the United States. Each year, USPA’s 41,000-plus members and hundreds of thousands of first-timers make roughly 3.65 million jumps in the U.S. USPA represents skydivers before all levels of government, the public and the aviation industry and sanctions national skydiving competitions and records. For more information on making a first jump or to find a skydiving center near you, visit www.uspa.org or call 1.800.371.USPA.