Casa Grande woman ranked third in the US for fastest speed in skydiving

CASA GRANDE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - A woman from Casa Grande is reaching new heights. Brianne Thompson just became the first woman to podium for Team USA at the 2023 U.S. Parachute Association (USPA) National Skydiving Championships, taking home bronze overall against the best male and female flyers with an average speed of 294.38 miles per hour. In speed skydiving, skydivers exit the aircraft two miles up and dive head-first toward the ground to reach the maximum descent rate possible using nothing but their bodies.

Thompson has nearly 23 years of skydiving experience and has completed over 15,000 skydives. She holds five world championship medals and six national championship medals. Thompson and her husband also founded the AXIS Flight School, a coaching program located at Skydive Arizona in Eloy. The pair also work with veteran-founded nonprofit Operation Enduring Warrior (OEW) to offer special coaching to wounded veterans, allowing them to skydive and experience the freedom of flying.

After her performance at Nationals, Thompson earned her a spot on the U.S. Parachute Team, where she will represent the United States in international parachuting competitions. You can find results from the 2023 USPA National Championships on USPA’s website and Instagram.

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