The �epic� is at high-altitude, but you won�t see it

Epic: Skydivers performing one of their formations at the Makgadikgadi Epic
Epic: Skydivers performing one of their formations at the Makgadikgadi Epic

The ‘Epic’ happens about five kilometres up in the sky, hence most spectators miss out. High in the sky, inside the Botswana Defence Force CASA-235 aircraft, a group of 32 skydivers queue up after the hatch is opened. A cold gushing wind and droning sound add the chaotic soundtrack to the situation.

These daring stuntmen and -women- are dressed in colourful wingsuits, folded parachutes snugly  secured to their backs like suckling babies to their mothers’ backs.

They keep touching and checking these as in a few seconds their lives will depend on them. They have helmets mounted with GoPro cameras on their heads. Each one has an altimeter on their wrist, which they keep checking continually. They then perform their signature fist bump that looks like an explosion and get ready for their exit.

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

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