The stratosphere is a hostile place.

Well, I jumped for the first time when I was 16. I just loved it and immediately realized that it was what I wanted to do.

I love a challenge, and trying to become the first person to break the speed of sound in freefall is a challenge like no other.

You have seen on TV how hard it is to go up 129,000 feet and how hard it is to come down.

I would've never dreamt that my skydive would trigger such gushing enthusiasm. I still don't really understand exactly what I've accomplished, although I always suspected it would be a truly spectacular moment.

People are fascinated about the world above them because it seems so out-of-reach. My jump gave them an opportunity to come along for the ride. They could watch live on their screens how someone rises all the way up into the stratosphere.

I base jumped off the Jesus statue in Rio de Janeiro.