When they were about to graduate in 2017 from Marian Catholic High School, Hometown, twin sisters Becca and Nicki Jordan weren’t quite sure what career path they wanted to follow.

So they opted for a “gap year” that took them on an uncharacteristic route outside the classroom that most postsecondary young adults pursue, choosing what Becca calls “a character-building life experience.”

Nine years later, Becca is a world class skydiver who has been around the world in the art, and who will represent the United States in the 2026 6th Federation Aeronautique Internationale World Wingsuit Flying Championships in October at Lake Elsinore, California.

The identical twins, who grew up in Schuylkill County (Pottsville and Ashland) are daughters of Joseph Jordan of Ashland, a retired Army Airborne Ranger, and Jennifer Mayer, a Georgia resident who retired from the Army after 31 years.

The sisters’ grandfather the late Joe Jordan had been a member of the once-popular Jordan Brothers Band that entertained in the region for years starting in the 1950s, playing the accordion in addition to being a vocalist in the band that also included his brothers, Frank, Lewis and Bob.

While Becca is quick to say, “I guess I get my love of parachuting from him (her father),” her mother’s sense of adventure also apparently contributed the girls’ unorthodox career path. After retiring, their mother went on to a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, living out of her Subaru while traveling to national parks around the country, and taking trips overseas for yoga retreats. Her parents’ “sense of adventure and commitment to life experience definitely influenced the path I’ve chosen,” Becca said.

Sisters’ journey

After graduating from Marian, the twins decided they “really didn’t want to rush into college without really knowing what we wanted to study or pursue as careers,” she said. “Instead, we chose to get some good old character-building and life experience under our belts by thru-hiking the entire Appalachian Trail.”

One week after their June graduation, their father drove the girls to Daleville, Virginia, where they would spend the next six months hiking roughly 2,600 miles, doing what’s called a “flip-flop,” Becca said.

She recalled, “He sent us on our way, and we began hiking north toward Mount Katahdin, Maine. After finishing the northern half, we returned to Daleville and completed the southern portion of the trail to Georgia. It was an extraordinary, life-changing experience and definitely built a lot of character.”

Becca added, “There was something really inspiring about doing something different from everyone else. I remember at graduation we were the only two students called who were taking a gap year. We grew up camping, hunting and fishing with our dad, spending a lot of time in the woods, and hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail with our mom on weekends. During those trips, we met thru-hikers, and heard their stories which inspired us to dream about doing it ourselves one day.

“Right after high school felt like the perfect time — we weren’t tied down yet. Our parents always encouraged us to get out into the world, gain life experience, go against the grain, and take the road less traveled. That’s exactly what we did.”

Different paths

Eventually, Becca and Nicole took different paths in life, the latter joining the Coast Guard with aspirations of becoming a rescue swimmer.

Becca said, “My sister is truly my built-in best friend. It’s funny because we’re identical but complete opposites and took different paths in life. A cute way to put it is that we’re on the same Earth, just from different parts: She’s the ocean and I’m the sky. Her passions are big-wave surfing and free diving, while I fell in love with the mountains and the sky and am now building a career as a wingsuit pilot.”

Becca said for her the gap year she eventually took with his sister “quickly turned into several gap years,” noting she “spent time working, saving, and taking rock-climbing trips overseas and out West, and my first visit to Colorado completely captured me — the scenery, the climbing, and the huge blue skies. It resonated deeply, and I knew I needed to come back one day.”

Meanwhile, she worked three jobs in Pennsylvania and saved enough money to buy a 2009 Toyota Tacoma in cash. “My dad and I built the back (of the truck) into a cozy tiny home. I first drove south to become a skydiver before heading west to Colorado. I lived in the mountains, worked at a coffee shop in the quiet mountain town of Nederland, and started skydiving at Mile-Hi Skydiving.”

She admitted “winters in the Colorado mountains while living out of my truck were pretty tough.” But it didn’t discourage her sense of adventure. She explained, “One cold morning after work at the cafe, I searched for skydiving jobs and stumbled upon Skydive Moab hiring for manifest (the operational side of the dropzone). I jumped at the opportunity, put in my notice, and made the move to Utah. It’s where I now live, work and fly, and teach wingsuiting.”

‘Chasing a dream’

Becca said to this day she is “chasing a dream.” She said, “Every time I went out West, I felt a strong sense of resonance and purpose. I knew I needed to listen to that little voice telling me to take the leap and go after it. There’s a certain magic and excitement in venturing into the unknown — and it ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I never imagined it would lead me to becoming a professional athlete of the sky.”

She said she became interested in parachuting on a climbing trip to southern France in 2018, noting, “We climbed the Les Calanques just outside Marseille — incredibly exposed white limestone cliffs right above the Mediterranean Sea. My climbing partner stood at the edge and said how incredible it would be to fly off like a bird — like a wingsuiter. There was something beautiful and captivating about humans doing things so far outside our natural element and flying that is! It just stuck with me after that.”

After researching how to get into wingsuiting, she learned the first step was a tandem skydive, which she did with her mother at Sky’s The Limit in East Stroudsburg. She recalled, “Walking into the dropzone felt like walking into a climbing gym I instantly felt like I had found my people. I was terrified during freefall, but when the parachute opened it was pure peace. A quiet 360 degree view of the world and a gentle breeze on your face — it felt like becoming a bird. That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the airplane door opening, the icy blast of wind, the canopy ride above the earth, and that endless blue sky.”

In June 2021, Becca left her jobs in Pennsylvania and moved full time into her truck after building it out with her father, and drove to Florida where she went on to complete the Accelerated Freefall program at Skydive City and became a licensed skydiver.

“From there, I headed west to find work in the sport, continue jumping, and build the skills needed to fly wingsuits,” she said. “Skydive Moab is where I learned to wingsuit and hone my skills — it’s where I met my teammate and best friend, Elizabeth Brott, and where I continue to grow my career as an athlete, teacher and student.”

Czech experience

Two years ago, Becca and her teammate earned a bronze medal at U.S. Nationals in Acrobatic Wingsuit Flying, which qualified the team for the 2025 FAI Wingsuit World Cup in the Czech Republic.

They trained together and traveling internationally, “experiencing a new culture, and being able to represent the United States on the world stage was an incredible experience,” she said.

Her team, which consists of two performers and one camera flyer, became the first American all-female Acrobatic Wingsuit team.

Upon competing in the 2025 Wingsuit Performance Flying at the U.S. Nationals, Jessica and her teammates qualified for the FAI World Championship, and earned a spot on the U.S. Parachute Team. They will compete for the gold medal in the world championships this fall.

Becca has a Go Fund Me website to assist her in raising funds to support her training and preparation for the championships. It can be found at https://GoFune.Me/E702E1C7E.