The Wingsuit Wonder Woman

Allow us to introduce Jenna, one of the coolest and probably most adventurous and fearless girls we know. She jumps out of airplanes for a living, now how bout that? She is a Wingsuit pilot and coach, splitting her time between Sweden and Switzerland, training for world championships and managing her own business along the way in a pretty male dominated industry. We love Jenna's positive attitude and that she truly found her passion. When she talks about her job, her eyes light up and to her it doesn't even feel like work. Read all about this awesome lady's unique work, challenges, how she got to where she is and if Wingsuit flying is really the most dangerous sport there is out there. 

For our readers who don’t know you yet, tell us a little bit about yourself, where you’re from and what got you here? 

I'm 30 years old and I was born and raised in Bern, Switzerland. Wingsuit flying is my hobby, my work, and above all my passion. Flying and being outdoors surrounded by nature is what recharges my batteries, and drives me to always try and be better than the day before. I've always had a love for flying, and this sport has really connected with me on a deeper level. 

In daily life (and pre Covid 19) I travel around the world to help people experience this amazing sport of flying. It's the human contact, the transferring of passion, combined with the most amazing visual experiences life can give you, that makes this the best job ever. I originally started out in advertising, a job I was good at, but never completely fell in love with. Now that I'm self-employed in a very unique market, that same advertising background comes in very handy and helps me connect to potential customers.

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Your industry is pretty male dominated, yet you’ve managed to build your own company. How did you do it and when did you first start putting the wheels into motion for your business?

It was something I never set out to do. Doing what I love, and through a mix of talent, but especially a lot of hard work and training, getting good at it to the point where it almost organically evolved into work. It's very rewarding to just see yourself being recognised as the top in your field of expertise for your work, and not needing the label of gender to be special.

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What made you leave your 9-5 job and what does a “typical day in the life of Jenna” look like now, if there is such a thing as typical?

The actual work is around 10 days a month, where I travel to the location where I teach and then go full on for a week straight. It's more often than not 10 to 12 hour working days. During the off time, a lot of it is spent on planning and marketing, to make sure I have customers and organize the work I need to do in the most efficient way possible. Next to that I get to do a lot of flying for both training for the world championships and leisure. Though a lot of fun, both serving a purpose in marketing, showing off my skills and proving to people you are the one they need for coaching.

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A lot of people would argue your job is dangerous. What is your take on that? And what is a huge misconception about wingsuit flying? 

Biggest thing I have learnt over the years is not to argue with people about what they think of my hobby and work. People's perceived ideas of risk differ a lot from reality, and combining that with the many hours of training I do, and a layer of smart decision making on top, my work is a lot safer than other people's regular commute to work by car. But in the end, I'm doing all this because I love it, and how society chooses to judge me has very little effect on my personal enjoyment. Surprisingly though, the majority of feedback I get is positive. And the negative few, I chalk up to the internet being the internet. 

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What do you find most challenging about your job and what do you find most rewarding? 

My personal drive is to work and to be the best I can be. Realising I managed to push myself to the maximum of my potential, and then a bit further. At the moment my teammates and myself are training hard for the world championships, to be held at the end of 2021. Though the top podium spot is of course the aim, I mainly want to go there to improve on what we did last year. Every day better than the one before.

For people who want to get into wingsuit flying, what are three things they need to know about this sport? 

When looking at doing it in the actual blue skies, it's not an entry level sport. You need to first start skydiving, and from there get a good 200 or more freefall jumps under your belt. But for those wanting to just experience flying, thankfully the unique wingsuit windtunnel in Stockholm where I teach, offers an opportunity for anyone to give it a go. So there's your answer, connect with me on Instagram or check out my Website and start flying!

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Where do you see yourself in 30 years? 

I would love to ask myself in another 30 years how my life has been, and if I got to live out all my wishes and dreams. But the road is more fun than the destination, so I'm okay waiting for the answer on that one.

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Quick Questions
 

Zodiac sign: Libra 

Currently listening to: Odesza

How to unwind after a long day at work: Hot shower and reading a nice book.

Mornings or evenings? Definitely morning, I am more creative in the morning!  

The best feeling in the world is: Flying Wingsuits, it’s like being a bird.

One thing that people would find surprising about you: My Dyson. I love vacuuming!

Most used emojis: 💩🤣😍

If you could only have 1 style of potato for the rest of your life, what would that be? Fries!

Most overrated word: Inspiring. People overuse it, which made it lose its value.

Finish this sentence “Women should be more: Confident in male dominated sports!"