Felix Baumgartner, legendary skydiver and extreme sports pioneer, left this earth too soon at the age of 56. He passed away from an accidental drowning in a hotel pool. Born on April 20, 1969 in Salzburg, Austria, Baumgartner was the world’s latest daredevil. His audacious tricks and astounding achievements embodied his adventurous nature and mesmerized a nation.
Baumgartner got his start in skydiving at the age of 16. He quickly became known as “Fearless Felix,” a title that reflected both his passion for adrenaline-fueled challenges and his extraordinary skills. Appropriately enough, given his dominance, he broke a record of his own almost every decade. Notably, he achieved the world record for the highest parachute jump from the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, a feat that demonstrated his ability to push the limits of human capability.
Then in 2003, Baumgartner became a household name after flying from one side of the English Channel to the other in a wingsuit. His passion for adventure didn’t wane with age. In 2007, he famously made a base jump from the 85-foot arm of the world-famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. It was his 2012 publicity coup known as Red Bull Stratos that crowned him an enduring legacy. During this remarkable event, he successfully dove from an astonishing 24 miles above Earth, reaching speeds exceeding 500 mph.
Felix Baumgartner’s contributions extended beyond personal achievements. As a member of the Austrian military’s demonstration and competition team, he further developed his skills and experience. It was in 1988 that he found his calling to the skydiving performance arts. That’s when he started jumping for Red Bull, a relationship that lasted for over 30 years, reaping some of his biggest successes.
Later that day on October 23, 2012, Baumgartner was seated alongside UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. This meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City underscored his impact and worldwide recognition outside the realm of extreme sports.
Just hours before his tragic death, Baumgartner posted the following image to his Instagram story. He captioned it “Too windy” demonstrating the commitment to the sport of sailing that he embodied.
“Since I was a little kid, I’ve always looked up to people who left a footprint on this planet,” said Baumgartner during one of his interviews.
His legacy is one of enduring sense of adventure. He once reflected on his aspirations:
“I always wanted to be one of them but I never knew what my map could be, what kind of footprint I could leave on this planet.”
