12,000 Skydives and Still Afraid: How to Act Anyway with Melanie Curtis, World Record Skydiver, Speaker, Author, & Peak Performance Coach

By Cindra Kamphoff | October 19, 2026

What is fear telling you that you can’t do? World record pro skydiver Melanie Curtis has made more than 12,000 jumps over 30 years, and she still feels fear. In this episode she shares how her first jump at 18 rewired how she relates to fear. She explains why the fear of humiliation is so powerful in modern life, and she tells the story of getting hypoxic on a world record jump at 200 miles per hour. You’ll learn practical tools for facing your fears, and why confidence is the result of action, not the requirement for it.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Why fear and anxiety don’t mean you’re not ready
What type two fun is and why the hardest things in life are worth it
A simple breathing tool for when fear shows up: make your exhale longer than your inhale
How to spot the hidden ways fear shows up in your body
Why confidence is the result of action, not the requirement
How to find the goal-setting sweet spot between bored and paralyzed
Why the fear of humiliation feels so mortal
Four ways to keep facing your fears: support, intuition, habits and deeper healing
How to identify as a brave person

About Melanie Curtis
Melanie Curtis is a keynote speaker, world record pro skydiver and peak performance coach with more than 12,000 jumps and 30 years of experience leading and coaching worldwide. She has appeared on Good Morning America and is the author of How to Fly: Life Lessons from a Professional Skydiver. Melanie teaches clients and audiences to take intentional risks so they can reach the far edges of their potential, personally and professionally.

Resources mentioned:

Melanie’s website: melaniecurtis.com

The How to Fly Challenge, a chapter of her book a day for 132 days, and the 31-day Gratitude Challenge: melaniecurtis.com

Melanie’s books: melaniecurtis.com/store

Melanie on Instagram: @melaniecurtis11

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Steven Kotler’s work on flow state

Links:

Learn more about Melanie https://melaniecurtis.com/

Mentally Strong Institute: https://mentallystronginstitute.com/

Request a Free Mental Breakthrough Call: https://freementalbreakthroughcall.com/

Download the National Confidence Research Study: https://confidencestudy.com/