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Una publicación compartida por Luke TheNuke Littler (@lukethenukelittler)

A 16-year-old named Luke Littler is taking the PDC World Darts Championship by storm. As of writing, Littler has reached the finals, defeating experienced competitors and previous champions two to three times his age. The young man reached the final after beating Rob Cross, who won the competition in 2018. “There are no words. It is crazy. It is crazy to even think I am in the final on my debut,” Littler told Sky Sports. “I was happy to win one game and now I can go all the way. It's not easy. You are playing Rob, he is a world champion who won on debut. I've got no words.” So far, he has earned £200,000 ($252,640) in the tournament.

Littler, who lives in Northern England, began throwing darts at a magnetic board when he was just 18 months old. “By the time he was 10 we knew he was too good for his age,” Karl Holden, his former coach told BBC. “He couldn't play in the PDC or the big time until he was 16, so we just let him enjoy himself and he's just worked his way through the ranks. He went from under-10s to under-14 leagues and, before he was 11, he was playing in the under-21s, just simply because he was too good for anybody else.”

By making it this far in the competition, Littler has broken a record. He is now the youngest person to ever reach the finals. The previous record belonged to Kirk Shepherd, who was 21 years and 88 days when he competed in the 2008 tournament.

When he is not playing darts, Littler leads a simple life. According to The Guardian, the master dartsman describes his routine as the following: “Just wake up, play on my Xbox, have some food, have a chuck on the board and go to bed, that’s it.” After one of his recent wins, he celebrated by treating himself to “a kebab and a can of Tango,” a British soft drink.

In the final, Littler will face 28-year-old Luke Humphries. Talking about his teen opponent, Humphries praised his talents. “The way he's played, I've seen it many times—but when you come up on this stage, it can be a lot tougher, and he's just proved he's got a lot of bottle,” he said. “Nothing is going to faze him—if he played like that tonight, tomorrow is not going to faze him at all.”

As for Littler, he will take it easy. “I'll just keep doing what I've been doing,” he says. “In the morning I'll go for my ham and cheese omelette, then later a pizza and then practice on the board.”

The deciding match will take place in London's Alexandra Palace on Wednesday, January 3.

16-year-old Luke Littler has made headlines for taking the PDC World Darts Championship by storm.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Luke TheNuke Littler (@lukethenukelittler)

He is now officially the youngest person to ever reach the finals, defeating experienced competitors and previous champions two to three times his age.

16 year old Luke Littler thrashes five-time world champion at the World Darts Championship
byu/one_and_only_chand innextfuckinglevel

Luke Littler: Instagram | TikTok
h/t: [The Guardian]

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READ: 16-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Person to Ever Reach Finals at World Darts Championship

 

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A post shared by Maja Kuczynska (@kuczynska.maja)

There are some extreme athletes in the world and expert skydivers are certainly one type. For these highly skilled individuals, skydiving is much more than simply jumping from a plane and letting gravity do the rest. While beginners can enjoy tandem jumps with an instructor, the real thrill seems to come from making the most of the free-fall. At 23 years old, skydiver Maja Kuczynska has become a master at it. After a decade of practice, she is able to control her body and even experiment with graceful movements as she soars through the skies.

Kuczynska describes herself as an indoor and outdoor skydiver. While the latter references the sort of skydiving we’re the most familiar with, the former is referring to an activity that takes place in a wind tunnel. These may be manmade, controlled environments, but controlling one's body isn't made any easier within them. Recently, the fearless skydiver has conquered Clymb, the largest wind tunnel in the world, executing a thrilling choreography as she floats.

This particular routine was captured on video and posted to Instagram by Kuczynsk, and has gone viral since. “The goal for this routine was to make it as cool for the general public as possible. So lots of pretty spins and pop ups!” she wrote. “It was cool to work on a routine like this for once. No focus on difficulty just trying to give the most fairy graceful floating ballerina vibes possible.”

The clip shows Kuczynska execute moves that can only be compared to underwater ballet, only at a much higher speed and pushing against the wind. The way she gets her body to move precisely and free of danger gives the impression of effortless elegance, but no one should expect to be able to do this after only a couple of indoor skydiving sessions. Kuczynska's graceful precision is a product of her extensive experience and training.

To stay up to date with Kuczynska, whether she is taking to the skies or dancing in wind tunnels, follow her on Instagram.

At 23 years old, Maja Kuczynska has become a master of both indoor and outdoor skydiving.

 

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A post shared by Maja Kuczynska (@kuczynska.maja)

The fearless skydiver has conquered Clymb, the largest wind tunnel in the world, executing a thrilling choreography as she floats.

 

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A post shared by Maja Kuczynska (@kuczynska.maja)

After a decade of practice, she is able to control her body and even experiment with graceful movements as she soars through the skies.

 

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A post shared by Maja Kuczynska (@kuczynska.maja)

Kuczynska executes moves that can only be compared to underwater ballet, only at a much higher speed and pushing against the wind.

 

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A post shared by Maja Kuczynska (@kuczynska.maja)

Maja Kuczynska: Instagram
h/t: [Reddit]

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READ: Watch This Skydiver Perfectly Control Her Body To Execute a Thrilling Routine Inside a Wind Tunnel

Overall Winner & Winner, Innovation by MPB, Photographer: © Krystle Wright / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Angela VanWiemeersch, Location: Long Canyon, UT, United States
“Turns out by slowing down life and embracing boredom again into my life, my dreams have come back that ignite new passion projects. One day as I was driving to my local crag, an idea hit me like a lightning bolt where I conjured the concept of illuminating a crack from within on an iconic trad climb. After all, the crack is the feature of trad climbing and I wanted to search out the perfect fissure. Moab UT has always brought me back time and time again and teaming up with Angela VanWiemeersch, we found ‘Seventh Serpent' in Long Canyon. As per usual, my timing is atrocious and a heat wave had descended onto Moab which meant we only had a few precious shaded hours in the afternoon to rig the lights into the crack. I'll always be a nervous wreck in these situations but when I raced back across the canyon to set up my position to capture, what a spectacular feeling it was to witness the crack come alive as the darkness enveloped around us.”

Red Bull once again celebrates the world's best adventure sports photography with the 17th annual Red Bull Illume Image Quest. And for the first time in history, a female photographer has been named the overall winner. Australian photographer Krystle Wright took home the big win for her beautiful image of climber Angela VanWiemeersch illuminated in a crack, deep within Utah's Long Canyon.

Wright was emotional when speaking about her win, which came after her work was evaluated by an expert panel of over 50 judges. “This is incredible. I wanted to earn my place in this industry and my work to get recognized,” she shared. “Red Bull Illume is the only platform that truly recognizes what we do.”

In addition to Wright, nine other photographers and videographers were singled out for their work in various categories. Notable wins include Lorenz Holder‘s colorful photo of BMX biker Senad Grosic doing a trick amid a pastel-colored apartment complex in Spain.

All of the winners will join the top five finalists in each category for a unique exhibition, beginning in Sölden, Austria, with the images displayed on 2 x 2 meter outdoor lightboxes until December 21, 2023. The exhibition also travels to Germany for the Berlin Travel Festival and then to Salzburg’s Hangar-7, before setting off to illuminate other parts of the world. The winners, along with the top 250 photos, can also be viewed in the limited-edition Red Bull Illume 2023 Photobook, which is available for pre-order now.

Here are the winners of the 2023 Red Bull Illume Image Quest.

Winner, Masterpiece by Sölden, Photographer: © Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Senad Grosic, Location: La Muralla Roja, Calp, Spain
“La Muralla Roja is a huge apartment complex in the Spanish town Calp and was built by Ricardo Bofill in 1969. This building is just a miracle itself – there are stairs, small corridors, platforms, and concrete walls everywhere, and it’s very easy to lose orientation. The building is divided into different zones that are all colored differently in pastel tones, but work together beautifully. Just walking through this masterpiece is breathtaking, and you feel instantly transferred into a different world.
For Senad and I, this was just a playground with almost unlimited spots and opportunities, where we both could live out our creativity.
For this shot, I wanted to show the variety of pastel colors and different structures and compose this with an BMX-trick of Senad with the right balance of architecture and action sports. We had to wait a little bit, till the sun was at the right place, to illuminate all the scene pretty equally, so the colors of the building would show its full potential without having shadows within the image.”

Winner, Energy, Photographer: © Ted Grambeau / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: James ‘Jimmy' McKean, Location: Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania, Australia
“One of the most extreme days at the incredibly challenging Shipstern Bluff on a remote stretch of coast in Tasmania Australia. The irregular bathymetry creates steps in the wave that adds to the unpredictably and creates a spectacular platform at the base of passive imposing sea cliffs. Local legend Jimmy McKean navigates a series of irregular steps in the face of a giant southern ocean swell. The steps are somewhat unpredictable and add to the precarious nature of one of the world’s most spectacular and dangerous waves.”

Winner, Emerging with Canon, Videographer: © Gonzalo Robert Parraguez / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Kilian Ivelic Astorga, Location: Maipo, Chile
“I think this is one of my favorite photos as it included a bit of everything. To get to the waterfall you had to drive two hours, walk ten minutes and then to take this photo I had to do a 15 meter rappel as the waterfall is in a deep canyon. To get in the position I wanted, the only way to get there was to rappel in. With Kilian, we have been filming and looking for places for a couple of years now and continuing to do these missions with him is one of my favorite things to do.”

Winner, Creative, Photographer: © Delphin Montessuit / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Virgile Devin, Location: L'Usine, Voreppe, France
“L’Usine is a dry-tooling cave situated over an old factory. On a Sunday after fun-filled night out with Virgile Devin and friends in Grenoble we decided to go for a climb at this spot. That's when I got to shoot Virgile hooked to the roof of the cave, the bright light coming from the outside of the cave on the original shot gave me the idea of a high contrast minimalist collage. To create this image, I decided to push the boundaries of my creativity by merging my photography editing skills with modern technological advancements.
I designed the scene using a digitally generated block of ice. By choosing black and white, I was able to express my love for simplicity and contrast, while recalling the greatness of the mountain with an oversized ice element. This image is the result of many inspirations that have shaped my journey as a photographer: the mountains, the power of extreme sports, the exploration of new ways to create, all shared with some good friends.”

This unique photo contest celebrates the world's best adventure sports photography.

Winner, RAW, Photographer: © Léo Grosgurin / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Arthur Deblonde, Location: Briançon, France
“This was for me one of the most difficult shots to take. In a windy week, a lot of larch in the valley were losing their thorns. So we were looking for the most beautiful larch around Briançon in France, and fortunately came across this magnificent tree with the waterfalls as a backdrop. Everything was perfect.
We came in the morning to create a jump, then had to find a yellow sweater for Arthur that would perfectly match the tree!
I hooked a flash on a drone and had it flown over the jump and the tree, the drone fell several times due to the wind and the flash weight. Our shot window was very short, I absolutely wanted to have the waterfalls in the background while having the tree and Arthur well lit by the flash. A single test allowed us to have all the conditions united in a single perfect shot.”

Winner, Playground by Radiant Photo, Photographer: © Jb Liautard / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Kilian Bron, Location: Nazca, Peru
“We were shooting for a week around Cusco with the whole video team but when they left, we changed my flight to come to this place, I had to wait a couple more days at the hotel as Kilian had a race at the end of the week. The minute after he crossed the finish line, we took a car and drove 12 hours on mountain roads from 6PM to 6AM. We arrived at the hotel in the morning and after a quick nap, we were headed to the highest dune in the world.
We only had one evening and one morning there as our plane was leaving from Lima the next day. We had to have good weather and all conditions come together. I was suffering from a knee injury and had to climb up the 500m high dune with almost just one leg. I flew my drone once up there and the view was absolutely breathtaking. The wind just shaped that huge dune with a perfect pattern, the same pattern we can see on a way smaller scale. It was so perfect it almost looked fake.
Once I decided which line I wanted Kilian to ride, it was go time and we were lucky enough that he made a turn at the perfect moment to lift up some sand. It was that one shot this whole part of the trip was all about.”

Winner, Photos of Instagram, Photographer: © Yhabril / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Alejandro Arellano, Location: Punta Malacara, Spain
“After enjoying the recent snowfall in the resort, we usually look for places outside to build kickers and take advantage of the best moments of light for the shoots. The weather this day was very bad and it seemed that we were not going to be able to do anything, but after midday the clouds began to move and the friends' chat began to heat up, so we decided to go up and build. We arrived a little late and the sky closed again so we decided to do the job and leave it done for the next day, with the landing untouched.
We were in darkness with everything almost finished when an evening glow began to enter in the distance. Alejan was working on the speed check and I was doing light tests with the flashes. It was an all or nothing bet to one try. Alejan is a motivated and qualified rider, capable of landing a huge first try backflip, so we went for it and we did it, that was the only jump that day, in the next moment the sky was dark again. In addition, the colors are a fundamental part of this photo, everything fits together, the blue tones are complementary to the orange and yellow ones, and there are times when this issue becomes crucial, that's why this photo is titled Psychology of Color.”

Winner, Lifestyle by COOPH, Photographer: © Ross Taylor / Red Bull Illume , Athletes: Jonathan Sapir & Jorden Brunshteen, Location: Anchor Point, Taghazout, Morocco
“I was out in Morocco on a surfing holiday with friends, which luckily happened to coincide with the first really good swell of the season slamming into the coast. The night before there was a real buzz of anticipation around the town, with everyone excitedly discussing if the swell was going to live up to expectation. The next morning, I eagerly pitched up to the carpark before sunrise and, through the twilight and mist, saw perfect peeling faces thundering down the point. A crowd of eager challengers quickly gathered readying themselves to do battle with what Mother Ocean was going to throw at them that day. When this retro ride overladen with all manner of surf craft pulled up I knew it was a composition too good to pass up. I hope this image bottles up just a little of the vibe which all us surfers know well; the excitement, anticipation and pure stoke of turning up to a spot to find the waves are even better than forecasted and it’s going to be a special day for all in attendance.”

 

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A post shared by Gabriel Marwein (@gabrielmarwein_1516)

Winner, Reels of Instagram, Videographer: © Gabriel Marwein / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Dolph Graham Kharrinam, Location: Lower Lachumiere, Shillong, India
“Me and Dolph were planning to shoot for a short film. We never planned this. We were looking for good spots for our film and fortunately, we just gave this a try and it came out well. This could actually be our first intro to the film, we thought. Then I asked Dolph: “Let's try and put some sounds on it”. We thought of using some music, but we wanted to do something different. I actually had no recording device other than my phone. I took it out and recorded the audio step by step, and it was right on track on what we wanted with our film.”

Red Bull Illume: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Red Bull Illume.

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Photo: vlalukinvesna/123RF

Have you ever thought about what you would buy if you won the lottery? Perhaps a house or car, or maybe a luxurious vacation? For one lucky winner of £2.4 million ($2.9 million) in 2010, this cash prize was used for something totally different. A man named Neil Jones decided to invest in pursuing pool, a long-lost hobby. Thirteen years later, Jones is now representing England as captain of the international team in Malta.

Soon after receiving his life-changing lottery winnings, the former tiler went shopping for his first pool table. Though he used to play snooker when he was younger, it had been many years since he played the game. “I picked a cue up, had a knock, and then I came back home and measured up our dining room so I could buy a decent pool table,” he recalls. Thanks to the funds, he and his partner were more financially secure, and he was able to pursue pool full-time, which meant making up for lost time with ample training.

“Winning the lottery allowed me to put those hours in,” he added. “If I didn't win, I wouldn't have been able to buy the table, I wouldn't have had the time—I'd still be on my hands and knees tiling.” Owning his own pool table became particularly useful during the COVID-19 pandemic as Jones was able to continue practicing at home. Eventually, all of his hard work paid off, and Jones quickly shot up in the rankings. This led him to becoming the captain of his country's international team earlier this year.

“You can't just buy a place in the England team, you've got to put the hours in,” he said. Jones will play alongside his teammates in Malta for the European Championships this November. “I didn't have that much money left in the world when I won, and now I'm captaining my country,” he continued. “I can't wait to fly out to Malta, put on that England shirt and lead the team out.”

h/t: [Insider]

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

Skipping rope can be fun for kids and adults alike, but it can also be much more than a game of Double Dutch. The jump rope is a versatile tool that is often used by athletes for their warmup exercises. Some especially talented people even use the jump rope for mind-boggling routines that will entertain and enthrall you. Mimi Youu is a Paris-based performer who pairs her jump rope with a variety of beats to put on mesmerizing performances.

Although only a minute or two in length, each video is captivating to watch. Youu possesses a masterful ease around the jump rope, skipping forward and then reversing her movements without pause. Depending on the song of her choosing, she incorporates a variety of other dance-like steps, sometimes stopping the rope under her foot to sway to the rhythm before hopping again. She calls her unique improv style Rope O'Clock and even has a separate Instagram account dedicated to sharing her moves.

Perhaps the most satisfying trick in Youu's arsenal is the way she throws one end of the jump rope out before catching it in her hand again. Sometimes she will twirl it around, and other times she manipulates the rope like a whip. Whatever she does, you can be sure it pairs perfectly with the mix of dance, R&B, and Afrobeats jams accompanying her performances.

Scroll down to watch more mesmerizing videos by Youu, and be sure to follow her on Instagram so you never miss an update.

Paris-based Mimi Youu uses the jump rope in an unusual yet entirely mesmerizing way.

 

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

Using her amazing skills, she coordinates her moves to match up with music.

 

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

She calls her entertaining style Rope O'Clock jump rope style.

 

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

She is able to change the direction of the jump rope and toss it from hand to hand with incredible ease.

 

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

The choreography pairs perfectly with different songs.

 

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

 

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

 

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

 

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

 

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A post shared by MIMI | ROPE O’CLOCK | JUMPROPE (@mimiyouu)

Mimi Youu: Instagram
Rope o'Clock: Instagram

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Una publicación compartida por Baseball Hall of Fame ⚾ (@baseballhall)

Upon retirement, some athletes find careers as coaches or sportscasters. We've also seen a few former players take on artistic endeavors, like Blake McFarland, a retired baseball star who is now a full-time sculptor. Now, there seems to be one player who found a different creative career path that will keep him close to the sporting fields. Ken Griffey Jr., a former professional baseball outfielder, is now a sports photographer, and the images he's taking are wonderful.

Griffey Jr. was spotted during the football match between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals, where he snapped some truly inspiring pictures of both the game and the fans in the stands. According to Sports Illustrated, this is far from Griffey Jr.'s first try at sports photography. He has been photographing from the sidelines since 2015, and it's definitely more than a hobby—it's an actual part-time job for him.

The retired baseball star also got a chance to photograph global soccer star Lionel Messi during an Inter Miami match a few weeks ago. Additionally, he has also had the opportunity to take pictures of the sport that he practiced and loved for decades. Earlier this year, Griffey was seen snapping photos at this year's Home Run Derby in Seattle.

Griffey Jr. retired from professional baseball in 2010, having played 22 seasons. He spent most of his career with the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds, and he also had a short stint with the Chicago White Sox in 2008. To this day, he remains one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history, ranking seventh in Major League Baseball history with 630 home runs. A 13-time All-Star player, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.

Ultimately, Griffey Jr.'s experiences as a storied athlete have trained his eye, bringing a unique storytelling style to his images. After all, he knows what those big stars may be feeling during a game-defining play.

To stay up to date with Griffey Jr., you can follow him on Instagram.

Ken Griffey Jr., a former professional baseball outfielder, is now a sports photographer, and the images he's taking are wonderful.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Arizona Cardinals (@azcardinals)

Griffey Jr. was spotted during the football match between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals, where he snapped some truly inspiring pictures of both the game and the fans in the stands.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Pro Football Hall of Fame (@profootballhof)

The retired baseball star even got a chance to photograph global soccer star Lionel Messi during an Inter Miami match a few weeks ago.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Ken Griffey Jr (@therealkengriffeyjr)

Earlier this year, Griffey was also seen snapping photos at this year's Home Run Derby in Seattle.

Ken Griffey Jr. is at the #HRDerby snapping photos pic.twitter.com/tCbT0JlkeF

— ESPN (@espn) July 11, 2023

Ken Griffey Jr.: Instagram
h/t: [PetaPixel]

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A boy named Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau recently shook the golf world, especially in his home country of New Zealand. The 12-year-old, who is on the autism spectrum, won a national tournament despite only having every played just three rounds of golf prior to the tournament.

Sporting basketball sneakers and borrowed clubs, Bayleigh won the nine-hole competition at the Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools (AIMS) Games, a tournament created to promote diversity amongst New Zealand’s young athletes. The boy ended the competition an 87 in the Stableford scoring system. Even with his handicap of inexperience, he managed to beat those who had access to a professional coach or had been training for years.

As with many stories of success, it all began with an observant and dutiful educator. Whetu Wiremu, a teacher-aide at Tāneatua School, where Bayleigh attends, was by his side throughout the competition. He was the one who spotted Bayleigh always swinging a stick, ever since he could walk, and had the idea of introducing him to golf.

“He never used to even talk to anyone,” Wiremu told the New Zealand Herald. “I’ve done heaps of work with him for the last couple of years just to get him out of his shell and into sport and I just treated him like I treated all the other kids.” Bayleigh, who is Māori, used to spend most of his time in class under his desk, not speaking. Adding to the challenge of communication, the tiny town of Tāneatua doesn't have a golf course, and Wiremu had to ask around among his friends for equipment to borrow.

On top of winning the individual competition, Bayleigh also won the team title in collaboration with his schoolmates Pedro Robinson and Lincoln Reritito. “They come from a place where there’s poverty, gangs, drugs, violence, and for them to have this type of opportunity to see and meet people like this is just real heart-warming for me,” Wiremu admits.

Now, everything seems to be coming up for the young golfer. A team of sponsors recently visited his school to present Bayleigh with his own brand new set of golf clubs and golf balls with his name printed on them. He and his friends are also now part of the Whakatane Golf Club, and will join its future coaching program to support 20 more young golfers from Tāneatua School.

For now, Bayleigh seems to have found something that fills him with joy, and will likely inspire many more in his community to take up a sport where they may not see themselves represented often. “The thing I love about golf is hitting my driver,” Bayleigh said after winning. “I dreamed about coming here and finishing in first place. And I had a lot of fun.”

A boy named Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau recently shook the golf world in his home country of New Zealand.

Photo: samot/Depositphotos

The 12-year-old, who is on the autism spectrum, won a national tournament despite only having played just three rounds of golf in his whole life, prior to the competition.

Photo: miflippo/Depositphotos

h/t: [New Zealand Herald]

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READ: Boy With Autism Wins Golf Tournament Despite Having Only Played Three Rounds in His Whole Life

 

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Una publicación compartida por Haley Van Voorhis (@haleyvanv)

A young woman named Haley Van Voorhis has made NCAA football history. The 19-year-old became the first female player outside the kicker position to appear in an NCAA football game. A safety for Shenandoah University, Van Voorhis and her team beat Juniata College 48-7 in a Division-III game on Saturday, September 23.

Van Voorhis entered the game with a minute left in the first quarter. The 5'6″, 145-pound junior registered a quarterback hurry after tackling the Juniata quarterback just after he had released the ball, resulting in an incomplete pass on the third down.

“It's an amazing thing,” Van Voorhis told The Washington Post after the game. “I just wanted to get out and do my thing. I want to show other people this is what women can do, to show what I can do. It's a big moment. I made the impossible possible, and I'm excited about that.”

Her love for football can be traced back to when she was a toddler. One day, while watching TV, she asked her mom why there weren't any girls on the field. At a loss, her mother replied that she didn't know why. “I guess she didn't take it as if there couldn't be any,” her mom, Heidi, later told ESPN. Devoted to making herself fit for a team, she spent hours on end at the gym, and her family hired a personal trainer to improve her speed. She went on to became the first girl to play football at her high school.

She now joins the small group of female players to have participated in NCAA football. Twenty years ago, in 2003, Katie Hnida at the University of New Mexico became the first woman to score as a placekicker in an NCAA Division I-A (now FBS) game. In 2020, Sarah Fuller from Vanderbilt University, became the first female athlete to play in a Power Five college football game.

Tracy Fitzsimmons, the university president, called Van Voorhis' achievement “an extraordinary accomplishment for women everywhere,” while the team coach, Scott Yoder, has stated that her role in the team will definitely grow. As for Van Voorhis, she hopes to encourage others with similar dreams. Her advice? “Don't listen to people who say don’t do it. Don’t be scared. Just go at it with everything you can.”

A young woman named Haley Van Voorhis has made NCAA football history. The 19-year-old became the first female player outside the kicker position to appear in an NCAA football game.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Haley Van Voorhis (@haleyvanv)

Van Voorhis entered the game with a minute left in the first quarter. She registered a quarterback hurry after tackling the other team's quarterback.

History is made: Shenandoah safety #10 Haley Van Voorhis becomes the first female non-kicker to appear in a college football game at the NCAA or NAIA levels for #D3FB @SUhornetsFB.

The junior hurried the QB on the play: pic.twitter.com/0mW8K6WeDG

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 23, 2023

“I just wanted to get out and do my thing. I want to show other people this is what women can do, to show what I can do. It's a big moment. I made the impossible possible, and I'm excited about that.”

 

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Una publicación compartida por Haley Van Voorhis (@haleyvanv)

Haley Van Voorhis: Instagram
h/t: [NPR]

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READ: Haley Van Voorhis Makes History as the First Non-Kicker Female to Play in a NCAA Football Game

Mark Clattenburg getting hit by an ‘Uno Reverse' after showing a yellow card to Max Fosh

Can't believe Premier League players never tried this pic.twitter.com/0N5vc6o7xP

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) September 9, 2023

In soccer, nobody enjoys getting a yellow card, even if it’s well deserved after playing too rough or for simply buying time. That’s why soccer stars around the world likely felt avenged by a player who, when carded by the referee during a match, unexpectedly pulled out an UNO reverse card.

If you’re not familiar with soccer, yellow cards are a warning from referees. Most are given after a dangerous play, but there are some other violations that get you carded like raising your voice to the referee or removing your jersey to celebrate when you score a goal. One yellow card allows you to keep playing, but a second one gets you ejected from the game.

In any other professional match, the clever move of pulling out an UNO reverse card would have gotten the player a red card—that mean automatic ejection, no warning. However, this genius move wasn’t pulled off by a professional player, but by a YouTube star during a charity match. Creator Max Fosh was playing as part of a YouTube All-Stars squad, who faced the Sidemen FC, a team formed by YouTube starts belonging to the Sidemen Group.

As brilliant as it was, some people had their doubts. Fosh seems to pull out a green UNO card. Should it have been a yellow UNO card for it to be a valid play (as per UNO rules)? Either way, the referee in question, ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, couldn’t help but smile. Who knows? He may as well be the first person to enjoy being carded.

During a YouTube charity soccer match, creator Max Fosh got a yellow card, but unexpectedly pulled out a UNO reverse card on the referee.

To give a yellow card.
byu/Tantofaz101 intherewasanattempt

h/t: [LADbible]

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READ: Soccer Player Pulls Out UNO Reverse Card After He’s Given a Yellow Card by the Referee

 

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Brazilian stunt performer Luigi Cani is an incredible athlete. The skydiving legend has completed nearly 14,000 jumps and set 11 world records over his two-decade-long career. That would be impressive on its own, but Cani's legacy has only grown as he's used his talents to better the world. In 2022, he performed one of his most nerve-wracking stunts to date—skydiving into a deforested part of the Amazon with a box containing 100 million seeds from 27 native plants.

The goal was for Cani to open the box midair, release the seeds, and simultaneously plant 100 million plants. However, executing this vision took five years of intense planning. Nothing was easy: from obtaining the proper permits from the Brazilian government to building a biodegradable seedbox that would properly distribute the seeds.

Two months were needed to cultivate the seeds from a nearby rainforest, and in the leadup to the big jump, things were looking shaky. Three test boxes failed just days before the jump in January 2022, leaving the team scrambling to find a solution. “We stayed up all night trying to find a way to seal a leak in the box,” Cani recalls.

 

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A post shared by LUIGI CANI (@luigicani)

Once the box was fixed, Cani still had to make sure that he could keep a grip on the box and release all of the seeds at the correct moment. It wasn't easy. “I struggled to hold the box. I nearly broke my wrist and fingers. I managed to stabilize myself at about 6,000 ft, and the seeds were released precisely where we wanted them to be. It was complete ecstasy.” Still, Cani calls the jump as “the only jump in my life that I held my breath the entire time.”

Luckily, it appears that all of the effort was worth it. With a germination rate of 95%, Cani's jump means that a huge part of the deforested Amazon now has a chance to thrive. Once mature, the trees could reach up to 50 meters, and Cani's team is constantly monitoring the situation by satellite. By early 2024, enough time will have passed that they'll be able to fully assess the success of the mission.

In the meantime, Cani continues to use his daredevil nature for a greater purpose. In fact, more environmental work is on the horizon, with a future jump that deals with ocean plastic. “I’ve been jumping for 25 years, and I’ve always pushed the limits with risky jumps,” he shares. “Now, I’m 51 years old, and I don’t have that drive for danger anymore. I want to do something to help. Like the seed drop, this next project will have real meaning behind it.”

In 2022, legendary stunt performer Luigi Cani skydiver into the Amazon and released 1 million seeds to fight deforestation.

 

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Luigi Cani: Website | Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [Redbull]

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READ: 100 Million Seeds From Native Plants Are Released Into the Brazilian Amazon by Daring Skydiver