“I don’t think there is a ton of risk involved if you are smart about it.”
This is Sriya Pothapragada’s take on skydiving, the passion she discovered during a 2019 family trip to the Pocono Mountains to see fall foliage. Even before this trip, she had always wanted to skydive, so when her mother made a comment about how nice the foliage would look from the sky, Pothapragada decided to see for herself. That day she went on her first tandem skydive, and her feet have barely touched the ground since then.
A second year PhD student at Clemson University, studying genetics, Pothapragada is an aspiring Astrobiologist. She wants to apply for her bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering and her PhD in genetics to study extremophiles and adaptation in extreme environments. Some would think that the sky might be an extreme environment for a human to casually drift through, but Pothapragada says there isn’t much connection between skydiving and her career ambitions.
“I grew up watching space documentaries with my dad and have always loved space. Loving these action-based thrills is really what got me interested in being an Astrobiologist. But other than that, there really isn’t much correlation between skydiving and Astrobiology.”
Pothapragada knew she wanted to get her PhD at Clemson, but before making her final decision, she checked on whether Clemson has a skydiving club. When she found that they do have a student-led skydiving club, that sealed the deal. Before even attending her first class, she reached out to Clemson’s skydiving club advisors to ask how to join.
Clemson’s skydiving club advisors are Jim and Sarah Burriss, Owners of Flying Tigers Sport Parachute Center, and Pothapragada credits them with her growth and improvement as a skydiver.
“They have been amazing mentors to me. They mentored me from the ground up and instructed me for most of my training. They video us for training purposes and watch the videos with us to help us understand what we need to get better at. They have taught me the importance of safety in skydiving.”
Since joining Clemson’s skydive club in August 2023, Pothapragada has made 69 jumps and has gotten her skydiving license.
“When you skydive in tandem, you are at the mercy of your tandem instructor because you are going where they go, but once you get your license, you are literally flying. I waited to get my license until I was old enough to have the mental fortitude to do it and I was financially prepared because skydiving is an expensive sport. When I got to Clemson, the first thing I did was get my license.”
Most recently, Pothapragada has put her skydiving skills to the test in the US Parachute Association’s National Collegiate Skydiving Championship in Zephyrhills, Florida. This was her first competition, marking a milestone in her journey as a new skydiving athlete and competing against the best athletes in the sport. She and her skydiving partner, Nick, placed fourth in their category in the collegiate competitions.
“We competed in the 2-way Formation Skydiving competition. Sarah asked if we would be interested in competing, and once we said yes, supported us greatly in training, along with Jim. We decided to do it because it gave us a sense of direction on what to do after getting our license because you can get into a rut after you obtain your license.”
In the 2-way competition, skydivers jump from the plane and have about 30 seconds of free fall. During these 30 seconds, they have to work with their partner to complete as many of the predetermined formation points as they can. A videographer jumps with them and records the skydivers making their formation points. Once they are safely on the ground, the judges watch the video and count how many of the formation points were made. Only the points made in proper formation count. At the time of the competition, Nick and Pothapragada had only been jumping together for two months, so they were proud of their accomplishment.
This competition is just the beginning for Pothapragada and skydiving. She has plans to continue and keep improving.
“I want to continue training to be a better canopy pilot, and as I get more jumps and experience, I was to get my Accelerated Free Fall instructor rating so I can support other athletes the way I was supported. I’d like to continue to compete and teach new skydivers.”
While skydiving is considered to be risky, Pothapragada not only does not consider it to be risky or herself to be a risk taker, but she is continuously learning from skydiving.
“I don’t consider myself a risk taker because I skydive. I made my parents the promise that I would be safe about it, and if you take the proper precautions, it’s not a risk. I’ve gained confidence and gotten over other fears and conquered more than I ever have. My reflexes are faster, which has translated to other areas of my life, and I have a heightened level of awareness.”
When asked what she likes the most about skydiving, Pothapragada is quick to reply.
“Free falling. I love the feeling of free fall! Some people don’t get it, but it’s such a freeing experience with nothing but the sky around you.”
To take a skydiving class and make your first jump, reach out to Flying Tigers Sport Parachute Center at (864) 350-8279.
Photo Credit Jaco-van-zyl