S

Tullahoma native Dana Bjorn, a 2018 graduate of Tullahoma High School, was among the world record-setters.

She was the youngest female on the world record with over 1,500 skydives to her credit having begun her skydiving journey at Skydive Tennessee in Tullahoma in 2020. Dana’s boyfriend, Palmer Collett of Frankfort KY, was the youngest overall participant and has just under 1,000 jumps. Bjorn has traveled all over the country during the past two years setting state records and earning her way onto this successful world record. She is an engineer working for Schneider Electric in Franklin TN, currently resides in Nolensville and still frequently jumps the skies over Tullahoma.

The record setting dive happened recently with Skydive Chicago as 174 elite skydivers from over 25 countries successfully set a new Vertical World Record, flying head-down in freefall to build a massive snowflake-shaped formation.

The previous record, a 164-person head-down formation, was set in 2015. Ten years later, and after eight attempts, conditions cleared and the record was finally broken. The team exited nine aircraft at 19,000 feet, and had just 60 seconds to find their slots, lock hands, and hold the formation before breaking apart to deploy 174 parachutes in unison. While the team initially set out to complete a 200-way formation, weather conditions required an adjustment that still resulted in a historic achievement.

“Breaking this record is an incredible achievement for every skydiver who’s been part of this journey over the last decade,” said Rook Nelson, Co-Lead Organizer and Owner of Skydive Chicago. “To see this many people flying head-down in unison is proof of what’s possible when we push past limits. This isn’t just a number – it’s about redefining what human flight can look like and inspiring the next generation of skydivers to keep breaking boundaries.”