Megan Rapinoe’s jersey retired in exciting fashion by Highlight Pro Skydiving Team

On August 25, members of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team flew into Lumen Field prior to the Seattle Reign FC vs. North Carolina Courage match to participate in the retirement of Megan Rapinoe’s famous jersey number.

The all-female Highlight Pro Skydiving Team is comprised of 13 top skydivers who average about 200,000 jumps. According to Melanie Curtis, this jump was their 20th demonstration jump as a team.

“It’s truly an honor to be able to honor her (Megan Rapinoe) and amplify her influence and efforts through everything we do,” explained professional skydiver and co-founder of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, Melanie Curtis.

Curtis is a renowned skydiver who has been jumping for over three decades and has 12,000 jumps under her belt. To add to her greatness, Curtis is not only a professional skydiver and co-founder of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, but also the executive director of the nonprofit Women’s Skydiving Network.

Each team member holds a United States Parachute Association (USPA) PRO rating, meaning they are able to complete skydiving demonstrations to designated landing sites for spectators to watch. This is no easy feat, as earning a PRO rating requires extensive training, preparation and licensing.

Skydiving is a sport that is not easily understood by the general public. However, for these professionals, it is their passion, career and goal.

“When we’re around people who don’t understand our sport (skydiving), we want to represent it well, but we also have to keep other people safe,” Curtis said.

Because this jump was so widely known, the team had to stay focused and alert.

Training for such an incredible goal required intense planning. According to Curtis, after achieving the PRO rating, the team practices parachuting in tight spaces with a specific goal in mind.

“It’s a tight stadium (Lumen Field). Even for the best of the best, it’s a really tight environment,” she explained.

An impressive team rose to the challenge and put on a successful air show in honor of Megan Rapinoe’s No. 15 jersey. The show was monumental and nothing short of awe-inspiring.