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Skydiving Group Aims to Boost Women’s Role in Sport

The Women’s Skydiving Leadership Network is launching a pair of new campaigns that aim to bring both awareness and training for women interested in the sport. The group has seen more than 2,000 members join since its 2016 creation.

A group targeting women in skydiving wants to make it clear that, for enthusiasts, it’s anything but a leap of faith.

Instead, it’s something that they’re truly passionate about—and there’s plenty of room for more enthusiasts. The Women’s Skydiving Leadership Network, a group representing more than 2,300 people globally, is launching campaigns intended to draw in more female sport jumpers, and not just those who do it once as a bucket list activity.

In fact, WSLN’s campaign is promoting two separate hashtag-driven campaigns: #WomenCanFlyParachutes, which aims to boost training for women skydiving enthusiasts through a series of events, and #BeyondTheBucketList, which intends to boost awareness around skydiving being more than a once-in-a-lifetime endeavor.

In a news release, WSLN cofounder JaNette Lefkowitz noted that the bucket list concept is a misconception—and the fact that the group has drawn 2,300 members in just two years of existence is proof of that point.

“Since the inception of our network, our membership has climbed steadily. There is a need for more women instructors, role models and mentors at drop zones,” she explained. “Through the WSLN’s programs we are supporting this unmet demand and directly increasing the number of women who achieve leadership positions in one of the most exhilarating and fun sports on the planet.”

The campaigns aim to do just that. For #WomenCanFlyParachutes, the organization is putting on a series of training events, the first of which took place over the weekend in California. The organization is funding its efforts in collaboration with the merchandising firm Girl Be Great.

One of the goals of the organization, beyond boosting interest in the sport, is to boost representation. WSLN notes that, despite women having a role in skydiving since its inception more than two centuries ago, just 13 percent of United States Parachute Association members are women, and awareness of women’s profile in the sport remains low.

(Gards/E+/Getty Images Plus)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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