![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2023\/09\/AaronSmith2-225x300.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe feat was the culmination of years of skydiving and wingsuit jumps. And it all started with boredom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI really got started doing this on a whim,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three years ago Smith found himself stuck at home with nothing to do when COVID shut down the world. Refusing to give into the tedium, Smith spent his weekends trying kayaking, hiking, cycling and jet skis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNothing was really scratching the itch,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, he went skydiving. Smith still gets nervous before every jump, but that first one had him especially on edge. The potent blend of adrenaline and serenity in flight, though, had him hooked. No sooner had he landed than he was ready for the next jump. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Multiple jumps with an instructor qualified him for his first solo jump. That was even more exhilarating. Smith compares it to feeling like a superhero. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s thrilling on a level I can\u2019t articulate,\u201d Smith said. \u201cEvery person should experience that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only downside: \u201cOnce you get good at something it\u2019s boring, so you have to make it more dangerous,\u201d Smith said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next level was wingsuits. These special suits feature extra material under arms and between legs that allow jumpers to glide toward the ground. It\u2019s closer in a lot of ways to true flying than skydiving, and Smith was hooked after the first try. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Smith mastered the technique, he began casting around for a worthy challenge. He found it in a high altitude jump site in Whiteville, Tennessee (near Memphis). No sooner had he called than the proprietor asked him if he wanted to break a world record. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t on my radar. But it was feasible, so I said \u2018yes,\u2019\u201d Smith said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The actual jump wasn\u2019t the only danger waiting for Smith at the top of the world. The thin oxygen and freezing temperatures require excellent cardiovascular health; a previous attempt at that altitude killed a skydiver named Tom Noonan in 2021 before he even left the aircraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smith spent weeks running as hard as he could to build up endurance. He paired that training with ice baths three times a week to build cold tolerance. Even then the jump was a taxing mental and physical test. But he gained not only a world record, but renewed self-confidence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI developed the ability to handle all these problems successfully,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt feels good to work myself up to that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n