By Maria Volodkevich – Director of Marketing & Communications, The COMMIT Foundation
I was (and still am) absolutely terrified of heights. So naturally, I decided to try out for the U.S. Air Force Academy Parachute Team in 2014. Makes perfect sense, right?
Not even a little. But I tried out anyway.
Why?
Because I’ve learned that saying yes can open doors you won’t fully understand until years later.
After being selected, I spent the next three years collecting stories my younger self never could have imagined.
- Jumping out of a C-17 and feeling the blast of turbulent air as we exited the aircraft.
- Skydiving from a hot air balloon, a helicopter, and a C-130.
- Teaching Air Force Academy cadets how to jump out of an airplane completely on their own for the very first time.
- Face-planting more landings than I can count (which is probably why I was not selected for the stadium demonstration team).
- Completing more than 600 skydives while training alongside four of my closest friends as we prepared for the U.S. National Skydiving Championships in 4-Way Formation.
Did I become a professional skydiver afterward?
No.
Have I jumped since graduating in 2017?
Also no.
But that’s the funny thing about opportunity.
The value wasn’t in becoming a lifelong skydiver. It was in the person I became because I had the courage to say yes.
That one decision taught me how to stay calm under extraordinary pressure. As an instructor, I was responsible for sending first-time jumpers out of an airplane. When I gave the command, “Go!” someone else’s life depended on my preparation, judgment, and confidence.
It taught me how to communicate clearly. After countless hours teaching ground school and coaching nervous cadets, public speaking stopped feeling intimidating and started feeling natural.
Most importantly, it introduced me to some of the most exceptional people I’ve ever known. My teammates and fellow skydiving instructors have gone on to attend Harvard, Stanford, and Yale; graduate from the USAF Weapons School; fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Demonstration Team; build successful companies; and lead in remarkable ways. More than a decade later, they continue to challenge and inspire me and remain among my closest friends.
Looking back, saying yes to that one opportunity changed the trajectory of my life. It expanded my network in ways I never could have imagined. The relationships I built have opened doors, shaped my career, and continue to influence who I am today.
The opportunity that scares you the most often becomes the one you’re most grateful you took.
