Former Navy SEAL Officers Mike Sarraille and Andy Stumpf started the year off setting skydiving world records.
The pair jumped in seven continents in one week, but the records are “really not what matters,” according to Austin resident Mike. The skydiving expedition was part of Triple 7, a thrill-seeking adventure to raise money for families of fallen service members.
Starting in Antarctica and ending in Australia, the team set three records from Monday, Jan. 9-Sunday, Jan. 15:
- Fastest skydiving trip on six continents, beating the previous record of 8.5 days
- Fastest tandem skydiving trip on seven continents, slashing the previous record of seven months
- Fastest seven-continent sports skydiving record, beating the previous six-month record
“Stories of the fallen are meant to put a smile on your face, not sorrow. There was a time for sorrow, and we’re past that,” Mike said. “I loved the men and women I served with more than I hated the enemy, and not all of them came home. It’s our duty to take care of not only their families, but also make sure that their stories never die.”
After serving for 20 years across 10 combat deployments, Mike’s mission is many-fold: to honor his fellow fallen service members, help veterans transition out of service, and to raise $7 million to fund 1,400 scholarships for Gold Star Families with the Folds of Honor Foundation.
Just 30 minutes after jumping out of a plane in Miami on Wednesday, Jan. 11, Mike told ATXtoday he jumped in honor of late commander Bobby Ramirez.
“We don’t celebrate our victories, nor do we suffer losses for too long,” Mike said. “We just sort of accept it and move on to the next horizon — it’s right now, that is special enough. We’re just taking it one jump at a time.”
The fundraising efforts are not yet over — the team has raised $483,422 so far and is still accepting donations.
“People like to see Americans doing exceptional things,” Mike said. “We hope it works.”
