Catching Up with Yaz Schuette

Down-to-earth,

focused, driven, and entrepreneurial are just a few words to describe Yasmin Schuette, an accomplished German skydiver. Yaz, as her skydiving friends call her, dreamed of becoming a pilot but instead, found the wonderful sport of skydiving, and we in skydiving are so fortunate to have her!

“As a kid, I wanted to become a pilot but I realized that I could not do it for a living as a grown up.” Yaz shared. She had a diverse childhood having grown up in northern Germany in a small town called, Kiel and partly in Washington, DC. “My dad was an officer of the German Navy and so we used to move around a lot. I guess that is why I feel at home wherever my suitcase is. I loved flying, riding horses, dancing, and drawing.”

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It was in Sardinia,

Italy when Yaz was introduced to skydiving. She watched a friend jump and couldn’t help but be mesmerized by all the smiling faces when the jumpers landed. “I instantly knew that I also needed to feel freefall and the pure air around me,” she said. “I still remember being shocked when they showed me the altitude and we were just halfway to the top. The door opened and I smelled icey kerosene air. Until today I still get goosebumps when I smell this specific exit-smell.”

Yaz progressed in the sport eventually becoming a 4-Way FS competitor, but skydiving is not her main source of income. “Well, let’s say skydiving is my full-time side gig!” she laughed. She spends most of her spare time training with her 4-Way team – doing the mental and physical preparations as well as coaching and managing the team’s social media and sponsorship. “I actually use a lot of insights from skydiving and high-end training for my business consultancy. Vice versa I use my business skills to promote the sport and my team.” she elaborated. 

Yaz reminisced about a time with her team several years ago, “When we started off in AAA class we traveled to Eloy, AZ to kickstart our team goals which was a mixed team then. It was the first time doing back-to-backs, making 10 jumps plus 30 Minutes tunnel a one day! Our coach was now-former Airspeed member Thomas Huges and he pushed us!” she recalled. “One day Airspeed spontaneously took us on an 8-Way with them. They briefed us during the climb and we were sooo proud when we landed because with these guys the formations just felt so easy!” 

Now looking back,

Yaz has racked up several years of experience and an amazing resume in the sport. She took a moment and fondly listed her top accomplishments:  

• German FS Female 4 way Champion 2017-2019 outdoor (2020 no competition)
• German FS Female 4 way Champion 2018-2019 indoor (2020 no competition)
• Competitor at World Championships 2018 Gold Coast/Australia / 4way Female FS (7th)
• Competitor at World Indoor Championships 2019 Lille/France / 4way Female FS (8th)
• Competitor at World Cup 2019 Eloy/USA / 4way Female FS (4th)

Aside from her side gig of skydive coaching and team training, Yaz spends quality time with her partner and her pup. She is a highly skilled sought after Business Consultant and Coach for growth and sales. During COVID she was quick to pivot her business to virtual so she never missed a beat and stayed busy during quarantine not only looking toward the future but helping people along the way. 

Above: photos by Ralph Wilhelm 

Although COVID slowed things down a bit,

Yaz has remained busy planning for the future.  Yaz looks ahead and shared a snapshot of highlights her upcoming calendar: 

• German Indoor Championships 2021
• World Indoor Championships 2021 Tatralandia/Slovakia / 4way Female FS
• German Outdoor Championships 2021
• Mondial 2021 Tanay/Russia / 4way Female FS

Even though Yaz realized at a young age that perhaps becoming a commercial pilot wasn’t within reach and skydiving was another dream realized, she’s still managed to become a Private Pilot and earned her Turbine Rating. “So I still get to sit in the cockpit,” she shared with a smile.

Thank you, Yaz, for being a bright light, charging, and leading the way in the sport!

If you’d like to learn more about Yaz and her team SKYNAMITE you can follow them via Facebook or Instagram here:

facebook: SKYNAMITE 

https://www.facebook.com/skynamite

instagram: teamskynamite

https://www.instagram.com/teamskynamite/