Thrill Seeker: 15 Remarkable Women in Extreme Sports

Thrill Seeker: 15 Remarkable Women in Extreme Sports — page 7
Maximum Sky mountain was constantly discharging noxious gases and heat But Roberta and her team had lucked out So far the volcano was calm that day The weather conditions were perfect too Roberta stepped outside the helicopter and balanced for a moment on a narrow platform built over the wheel It was time She dropped into the air spreading her arms and legs to engage the wings of her suit With wrists bent she gripped the sides of the arm wings to keep them as rigid as possible The heart of the volcano roiled red and orange below her and tur bulence from the terrific heat gave her extra lift She was flying Roberta Mancino has received worldwide recognition as a model skydiver wingsuit flyer and BASE jumper BASE jump ing is taking off from a stationary object on earth rather than jumping from an airplane or helicopter Born on August 3 1980 Roberta grew up in Anzio Italy about 30 miles 48 km south of Rome along the coast She had an active childhood starting with dance classes at the age of four Her training in clas sical ballet and Latin American salsa helped her later when she participated in freestyle skydiving a subgenre of the sport that involves acrobatic maneuvers during free fall When she was 15 Roberta had her first boyfriend a boxer who introduced her to his gym There she tried boxing and kickboxing for the first time It was just what her energetic body craved Practicing for hours every day she earned a black belt in mixed martial arts 4