Meet Michelle Nirumandrad | Professional Skydiver and Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Nirumandrad and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, what role has risk played in your life or career?
For someone who has made their living by jumping out of planes, risk is inherent in my life. But experience has shown me that, often times, on the other side of risk lies reward. The larger the risk the larger the reward. It is not the average run-of-the-mill things in life that bring us our greatest sense of accomplishment, it is those moments of challenge where we are forced to step out of our comfort zone and take a risk. Whether it be as straight forward as putting a new idea out in the open to face public criticism or as complex as throwing yourself out of a moving aircraft, it is moving forward from these moments that we define and find the best pieces of our character and self.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a professional skydiver and artist and my work is called Captured Sky. Captured Sky is unique because it is a collaboration with the winds of freefall in an effort to produce a tangible object from the sky – artwork born from her and of her. I am the only artist who creates in this manner so I have met a number of challenges along the way both conceptually and mechanically. I would have to say, necessity and perseverance have been my greatest allies for overcoming these challenges. I did not simply *want* to have a souvenir from the Sky, I *needed* to have it. That necessity is what has given me the perseverance to keep moving forward with the concept of Captured Sky, even when the odds or logistics become stacked against me. The lessons I have learned from Captured Sky have proven to me if you are truly passionate about something and you pursue that something with passion, absolutely nothing can limit you – not even the Sky.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, obviously, if you’re coming to Dallas I would have to recommend you come make a jump at the number one mid-sized drop zone in the U.S. – Skydive Spaceland Dallas! If you wanted to get your toes wet, so to speak, before making the big leap we could pop over to iFly Dallas, our local indoor skydiving facility in Frisco. To celebrate your courageous afternoon we would head down the street to Lava Cantina for some delicious creole Tex-Mex nachos (yes, you read that right), live music, and the best margaritas in town! Rest up for the night in the industrial-chic NYLO hotel then burn off the calories from those margaritas at my favorite gym, Lifetime Fitness in West Plano! Every possible amenity you could want all within a stone’s throw!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The person who inspires me the most to do more and be more is for sure my husband, Frank Cole. He is confident, ambitious, and pursues his goals with passion which motivates me to do the same. When I am faced with a new challenge, he believes already that I can do it and encourages me to believe the same. There are many “risks” I would not have had the strength to make without his unending support and, again, it is those occasions that I have found my greatest rewards. Thank you, William Franklin, my love.

Website: www.capturedsky.com

Instagram: @capturedskyart

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/capturedsky

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCnAPLjIml6fGw7j2nR47gVw

Image Credits
William Franklin Cole III