Felix Baumgartner
Felix Baumgartner
Felix Baumgartneris an Austrian skydiver, daredevil and BASE jumper. He is best known for his participation in the Red Bull Stratos project, in which he jumped to Earth from a helium balloon in the stratosphere on October 14, 2012. Doing so, he set world records for skydiving an estimated 39 km, reaching an estimated top speed of 1,357.64 km/h, or Mach 1.25, . He became the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power relative to the surface on...
NationalityAustrian
ProfessionDaredevil
Date of Birth20 April 1969
CitySalzburg, Austria
CountryAustria
Of course my life has changed because now everybody knows who Felix Baumgartner is.
The stratosphere is a hostile place.
I base jumped off the Jesus statue in Rio de Janeiro.
I would've never dreamt that my skydive would trigger such gushing enthusiasm. I still don't really understand exactly what I've accomplished, although I always suspected it would be a truly spectacular moment.
I don't like to rate myself; others can do that.
I feel comfortable with what I do and I guess that my girlfriend feels the same.
Well, I jumped for the first time when I was 16. I just loved it and immediately realized that it was what I wanted to do.
I don't like to rate myself; others can do that. I've spoken with a number of young people who weren't even born in 1969, when the first moon landing was made. They've witnessed the first person to fly at faster than speed of the sound without propulsion. These kids are happy to have had such a momentous event in their lifetime.
I have a lot of fears that normal people have.
People are fascinated about the world above them because it seems so out-of-reach. My jump gave them an opportunity to come along for the ride. They could watch live on their screens how someone rises all the way up into the stratosphere.
If you want to do something extraordinary, there's always risk involved. I was always willing to take that risk.
I once wanted to be a stuntman. I was constantly on the front pages when I was a base jumper. But if I were a stuntman, my name would only appear right at the end of the closing credits, even though I'd risked my life for others.
Don't live life as a spectator.
I know the whole world is watching now. And I wish the world could see what I can see. Sometimes you have to get up really high to understand how small you really are. I'm going home now.