From farm life to freefall: Rosthern woman soars with SkyHawks skydiving team

A view of the Candy Cane as seen from the camera on Janzen’s helmet.Submitted/SkyHawks

The SkyHawks appeared in Moose Jaw this past weekend as part of a shared 55th anniversary season with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. Janzen had hoped to perform in front of family and friends, but high winds and a hard landing by another jumper earlier in the show meant the team had to stop before her pass.

She said the disappointment was real, especially after arranging yellow and green smoke for the Saskatchewan crowd, but safety comes first.

“Our thing with these shows is we have jump masters, and they really work to keep us safe,” she said. “Even if it is disappointing, I’d rather have everyone be safe.”

For Janzen, the path to the SkyHawks started long before she ever stepped out of an aircraft. She was the oldest girl in a family of six children and said she and a younger sister knew from childhood that their futures would involve the military.

“Since we were very young, I think maybe seven, we knew we wanted to join the Armed Forces,” she said. “I would line up my teddy bears in rank and be like, I’m going to do this.”

Janzen said there was no strong military tradition in her family, although she was drawn to history and to the idea of service. She and her sister eventually joined the infantry together, while also building careers as paramedics.

“We wanted to prove ourselves with hard work,” she said. “Our mom raised us [thinking] teamwork can kind of conquer all, whether we could do it in a male-dominated field.”

Her military career has included training across Canada and abroad, including a deployment to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia as part of Operation Reassurance.

“Without the army, I wouldn’t have been able to go so many places and see so many things and learn so many skills,” she said. “I actually really recommend it to anyone.”

Skydiving came later. After returning from overseas, Janzen said she still had a fear of heights and decided the best way to deal with it was to confront it directly.

“I tend to chase things that scare me,” she said. “The best way to get over your fear of heights would be to become a skydiver.”

In 2019, she travelled to New Zealand to earn a diploma in skydiving, supported by her home unit. She returned to Canada just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the world, then kept jumping with her sister at their home drop zone.

The Candy Cane as it looks to the audience. Submitted/SkyHawks

It was her sister, Janzen said, who reminded her that the SkyHawks had been the dream all along. Both sisters applied, and Janzen earned a spot on this year’s team.

The SkyHawks are the Canadian Armed Forces’ parachute demonstration team, drawing members from across the army, both regular force and reserve. Janzen said this year’s group has about 13 jumpers who train intensively before taking the show on the road.

Janzen has logged about 450 jumps. She said she no longer feels nervous in the same way she did as a beginner. These days, the feeling is closer to excited focus.

“It’s more like, I describe it like a racehorse getting to do what they love,” she said. “I want to show people what I can do. I want it to go well and I want to give everyone a good show.”

The work is physically demanding. In a full show, Janzen said jumpers may exit the aircraft at about 6,000 feet, with different formations opening at different altitudes. Her parachute generally opens around 4,000 feet before she begins the Candy Cane maneuver.

Much of the SkyHawks’ work happens under canopy, with jumpers building formations while flying Canadian flag parachutes. Janzen said the sight still affects her.

“Every time they open, I get chills still just looking up and seeing the flag above my head,” she said.

Away from the team, Janzen works full time for the Saskatchewan Health Authority as a paramedic, often in Hudson Bay. She said balancing paramedicine, reserve service and skydiving takes planning, fitness and knowing when to step back.

“It’s a Jenga,” she said of the schedule. “In between yoga, working out, staying in shape and properly balancing your schedule is how I managed to maintain a kind of healthy lifestyle.”

Her mother, a veterinarian who raised the children largely on her own, remains one of Janzen’s biggest influences. Janzen said her mother taught her daughters hard work, resilience and the belief that they could do difficult things.

“She is so proud of us,” Janzen said. “She just says they’re living the life that they’re made to live.”

The public side of the SkyHawks is one of the best parts of the job. After performances, children often come up to ask questions, try on gear or help pack a parachute.

“I usually get rushed by this beautiful wave of, especially young girls, but young men too,” she said. “They often come up and they’re like, I want to do what you do. And I often talk to them [and say] ‘Well, you can.’”

Not only are kids allowed in the parachutes, they are invited to help pack them. (Image Credit: submitted/SkyHawks)

She said being a woman on a male-dominated team matters, but so does showing that men and women can work together at a high level.

“It’s such a display of what Canadians can do and what women can do,” she said.

For now, Janzen said she is focused on doing the best job she can through the current season. She may reapply to the SkyHawks in the future, but she also wants her sister to have a chance.

The team is expected to perform about 27 shows this year, including two overseas stops, though Janzen said weather and safety can always change the schedule.

Whatever comes next, she said she is grateful for the chance to represent Canada in the air.

“I really just want to hone in on how lucky I feel to have this opportunity,” Janzen said.

The SkyHawks have a busy summer schedule of shows in front of them. Date and locations can be found on their website.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

by Susan McNeil

From farm life to freefall: Rosthern woman soars with SkyHawks skydiving team

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