Meet Divya Surepalli, Andhra Pradesh’s first licenced civilian woman skydiver

How Divya Surepalli became Andhra Pradesh’s first licensed civilian woman skydiver

At 37, Divya Surepalli stepped into a category that barely exists on the civilian sporting map of India. In 2024, she became the first licensed civilian woman skydiver from Andhra Pradesh, joining fewer than 20 women nationwide who have pursued the sport beyond a one-time tandem jump. Some in this small cohort are licensed; others are still working toward it. The number alone explains how narrow the route remains.

Divya, who has her roots in Visakhapatnam, holds a postgraduate degree in Environmental Engineering from Germany. Skydiving had stayed with her as an idea for years, long before it became a plan. During a visit to the United States, she came close to making her first jump. “At that point, I only wanted to experience a tandem jump,” she says. Weather conditions ruled it out, but the disappointment carried an unexpected consequence. The thought of doing it with training and certification, began to take shape.

The turning point arrived when she travelled with Shweta Parmar, among the earliest civilian women skydivers in India, to Moscow for an Accelerated Freefall (AFF) course. The destination was Drop Zone Krutitcy, located outside the city. Divya intended to complete the entire sequence there. Instead, worsening weather after the initial stages interrupted the plan. “I finished my AFF there, but the conditions deteriorated soon after,” she says. “To complete the remaining jumps required for my licence, I had to relocate.” Thailand became the second classroom.

Divya Surepalli from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh’s first licensed civilian woman skydiver. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

To earn an A licence, the first level of certification for solo skydivers, a jumper must complete a minimum of 25 jumps, clear written or oral assessments, demonstrate specific freefall and canopy control skills, perform group jumps and pack their own parachute. With 29 jumps logged, Divya met the criteria. The licence allows a skydiver to jump at affiliated drop zones across the world without direct supervision.

Progress, however, did not follow a straight line. Midway through her AFF course, a severe spin during freefall unsettled her. “That incident shook my confidence more than I expected,” she says. Doubts crept in, not as fear of the sky but as a question about her own judgement. The intervention came from her instructor and mentor Alex Troshyn. “I had withdrawn and was staying in my hostel,” she recalls. “He came to speak with me and reminded me that setbacks are part of training, not signs of failure. That conversation helped me return to the process.”