Sky High Follows 1st Competitive Paraplegic Skydiver, now available on Vimeo

Oct. 17, 2013 - PRLog -- If you are lucky, you will experience a moment, person or event that is “life changing”. The phrase evokes a sense of hope and inspiration that can be hard to hold on to, but for friends, family and fans of Jarrett Martin, the inspiration comes in waves on a daily basis.

One person touched by 22 year old Jarrett was Macaela Vandermost, the Creative Director and Founder of Newfangled Studios, a boutique video production company. Macaela and her team produced a full length documentary about Jarrett and his struggles as a paraplegic skydiver for the film, Sky High (now available on Vimeo On Demand at http://www.vimeo.com/ondemand/skyhigh).

“Meeting Jarrett was a life changing experience for me,” Macaela shared. “At the time, he and my sister were college roommates and I was spending the weekend with her. She had told me about Jarrett, but I was blown away when I met him. Something in me really wanted to tell his story”.

A few months after first meeting Jarrett, the urge to tell his story had stayed with Macaela and she knew she had to act.

“I thought, if this kid had such an effect on me in a matter of a weekend, what could his story do to inspire people all over the world?” Macaela continued, “And so, Sky High was born.”

In Sky High, Macaela and her team followed Jarrett through his journey to be the first paraplegic to compete at the USPA National Skydiving Championships in 2011. Throughout the film, viewers learn about the accident that resulted in Jarrett being paralyzed from the chest down and continues as he follows his passion to regain a life and future that many said was gone forever.

Join Jarrett as he pilots his first flight since the accident, trains through the challenge of not being able to control where and how his body moves or lands; and, perhaps most moving, when Jarrett attempts his first BASE jump since his accident (the jump that led to his paralysis was a BASE jump).

Following Jarrett through Macaela's lens, you feel the conflict of excitement and fear as Jarrett refuses to let his paralysis stop him from his dreams.

For Jarrett, skydiving was always going to be a part of his life and he was considered an up-and-coming-one-to-watch as a 3rd generation skydiver who held more ratings and accomplishments at 18 than many skydivers ever earn.

“Being around it all my life and then jumping when I was young seemed very natural to me,” Jarrett says. “I became a professional skydiver and pilot at a young age and was looking forward to creating a name for myself. I love to share my passion with others through training and instruction and I love competing”.

The risks involved with participating in a sport like skydiving aren’t lost on those who participate, and many skydivers can name at least a friend-of-a-friend who has lost their life or use of limbs from jumping. Even seeing paraplegic skydivers isn’t necessarily uncommon. But, seeing what Jarrett has accomplished is truly like no other.

Jarrett has continued to compete and just this month earned a position as the first Junior member of the US National Skydiving Team. He will travel to compete at the Dubai International Parachuting Championship in November and next year at the World Parachuting Championships. Not only is Jarrett breaking barriers stateside, he will be the first paraplegic to compete in an FAI global skydiving event.

Competition isn’t the only place where Jarrett is continuing to make a name for himself, though, having also completed the first paraplegic pond swoop and wingsuit jump and continuing to be a presence in the world of BASE jumping. Jarrett uses his extensive knowledge of skydiving and experience to work with fellow jumpers and leaders in the industry to design new ways to fly with his disability instead of being limited or defined by it.

'While I can't do a lot of things the way I used to, I still do all the things I love," Jarrett passionately shares. He spends a lot of his time now working with other paraplegics and teaching them to skydive and has helped many earn their skydiving licenses.

Meanwhile, Jarrett’s story continues to spread and his inspirational spirit is infectious. “I hope the audience leaves the theatre feeling empowered,” Macaela shared about the film. “There’s really no reason not to go full speed ahead into your passions. If Jarrett Martin can jump off a bridge without the use of his legs, everyone should always continue to chase their dreams".

Sky High was chosen for the Boston International Film Festival earlier this year where the film earned the Indie Spec Special Recognition Award. Originally scheduled for a showing in April, the screening was cancelled after the Boston Marathon Bombings. The film is now set for a showing at the F/local Visual Arts Screening Series on November 7 in Boston at The Center for Arts at the Armory.

For those outside of Boston or who can’t wait for November, the film is also now available for rent or purchase on Vimeo at http://www.vimeo.com/ondemand/skyhigh.

For more information or to schedule an interview about Sky High, Jarrett Martin, or Newfangled Studios, please contact Carrie Transue at carriet@tmnomad.com.

www.tmnomad.com