Felix Baumgartner: Space Jump Was My Last Stunt, 'It's Hard Work '
The first man to ever break the speed of sound during a free fall has announced that he is hanging up his parachute.
Felix Baumgartner has admitted that making a 128,100 foot jump was not the most entertaining thing that he has ever done. When asked during an interview on the "Today Show" whether or not he enjoyed his free fall, Baumgartner responded by saying, "Actually, no."
"This is hard work," the seasoned skydiver said, recounting his five years of training that led up to one monumental day. Oct. 14, Baumgartner, 43, took the plummet travelling at 833.9 miles per hour. His only mission was to survive, which meant preventing himself from passing out.
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"When you spin so violent, what we call the rapid onset, all your blood goes into your brain and there's a lot of pressure,'' Baumgartner said. "I had to maintain consciousness because I needed to stop this spin, and I did. I had to use all of my skydiving skills to perform well in those four minutes and twenty seconds.''
The impressive feat was a daring task to take on because according to Baumgartner, there was no way to predict or practice how his body would react to such a spin.
"The problem is you have to find a solution for how to stop the spin because you cannot practice for supersonic speed,'' he said. "You either go for it or you don't.''
While the training wasn't the most fun, however, Baumgartner admitted that he was allowed a one-of-a-kind view.
"I had an incredible view when I standing on top of the world, but at the same time you realize everything around is hostile. I thought, 'I had the privilege to stand here and nobody else was there before,'" he said.
But after successfully breaking the record and achieving his goal, Baumgartner is done with performing stunts.
"I am officially retired from the daredevil business,'' he told Savannah Guthrie Monday. "I did it all. I had enough. It's time to move on."
