Spring Break
BSU student wins Red Bull 'extreme' contest
Schilling skydives, base jumps for final prize in competition
Allison Suer
When Andrew Schilling opened up the briefcase topped with a Red Bull logo, he found a cell phone.
When it rang, Schilling knew he would have to make his move - so he waited. And waited.
Finally, after four months of waiting, the phone rang. Schilling put the phone up to his ear and listened to the voice on the other end.
"Are you ready for an adventure?" the voice asked.
Forty-eight hours later, Schilling found himself waiting at an airport in Seattle when he received another call. He put the phone down and calmly walked through the terminal to the car waiting outside. His adventure had begun.
Schilling, a senior majoring in business administration, was one of five college students chosen from around the country to participate in Red Bull's First Person contest.
The contest's slogan, "Ordinary students in extraordinary circumstances," was exactly that.
According the Red Bull Web site, five college students were selected and trained by Red Bull athletes. The students were then taken to a disclosed location to practice their training.
Schilling was given the opportunity to skydive and base jump with professional Red Bull athletes.
"Travis Pastrana is a Red Bull athlete so I thought if he does [skydiving] all the time, why not give it a shot," he said.
Schilling said he has been into extreme sports for as long as he can remember. Schilling remembers the first time he did something considered extreme, he said.
"Probably jumping off a bridge into a lake into Tennessee," Schilling said. "It was probably 40 feet or so. I was probably eight or nine years old. I've got two brothers who are into the same kind of thing. [My older brother] was jumping off of it, so I thought I'd do the same thing."
That day launched a lifetime of adventure for Schilling.
"It's a risk, but honestly, the way I look at that is that if I get killed or hurt really bad, that's a really cool way to get hurt," he said. "You go out with your boots on."
When it rang, Schilling knew he would have to make his move - so he waited. And waited.
Finally, after four months of waiting, the phone rang. Schilling put the phone up to his ear and listened to the voice on the other end.
"Are you ready for an adventure?" the voice asked.
Forty-eight hours later, Schilling found himself waiting at an airport in Seattle when he received another call. He put the phone down and calmly walked through the terminal to the car waiting outside. His adventure had begun.
Schilling, a senior majoring in business administration, was one of five college students chosen from around the country to participate in Red Bull's First Person contest.
The contest's slogan, "Ordinary students in extraordinary circumstances," was exactly that.
According the Red Bull Web site, five college students were selected and trained by Red Bull athletes. The students were then taken to a disclosed location to practice their training.
Schilling was given the opportunity to skydive and base jump with professional Red Bull athletes.
"Travis Pastrana is a Red Bull athlete so I thought if he does [skydiving] all the time, why not give it a shot," he said.
Schilling said he has been into extreme sports for as long as he can remember. Schilling remembers the first time he did something considered extreme, he said.
"Probably jumping off a bridge into a lake into Tennessee," Schilling said. "It was probably 40 feet or so. I was probably eight or nine years old. I've got two brothers who are into the same kind of thing. [My older brother] was jumping off of it, so I thought I'd do the same thing."
That day launched a lifetime of adventure for Schilling.
"It's a risk, but honestly, the way I look at that is that if I get killed or hurt really bad, that's a really cool way to get hurt," he said. "You go out with your boots on."
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