Have you heard of a sport called speed skydiving? Athletes jump out of planes and race toward the ground—headfirst. When they get close to Earth, they open their parachutes and land on their feet. 

Speed skydiving started in Florida in 1999 and has since spread around the world. Last year, Maxine Tate set a women’s world record with a speed of just over 285 miles per hour. That’s faster than a car’s top speed in NASCAR. 

Racers try to keep their bodies straight as they dive to reduce drag. Drag is a force that slows the movement of an object. Even a tiny change in the way Tate holds her head can cause drag and reduce her speed. 

“I focus on keeping my body straight so I can dive as fast as possible,” Tate says.