‘’I didn't believe it at first and thought it was a spam email!’’

The Moruya woman first jumped out of a plane 26 years ago and to date has clocked up more than 11,000 skydives.

‘’I started in Cessnock NSW when I was 19 and joined a team early in my career which led me to life-long friendships and an extraordinary life enabling me to view the world from a very unique perspective.’’

McConnel has five world records to her name however her biggest highlight was breaking an Australian record in 2012 alongside Michael Vaughan which caught news headlines around the country.

The daredevil pair jumped 150 times within 12 hours from above Moruya Airport.

‘’It was a marathon of jumping - get in the plane, jump out, open parachute, land and repeat. Volunteers helped us in and out of equipment, kept us hydrated and energised with nutrition and ongoing cheers.’’

When McConnel isn’t breaking records, she’s dedicating her time to the Australian Parachute Federation to support the next generation of enthusiasts.

‘’I joined the Australian Parachute Federation team as Sport Development Manager in 2019 to contribute behind the scenes with programs and initiatives to increase participation and retention in the sport. I also continue to coach and mentor in the sport to engage in the community.’’

It was for this reason McConnel was recognised in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours List and a successful recipient of Sport Australia’s 2021 Women Leaders in Sport program.

‘‘I feel very honoured to be recognised for my contribution to the sport that I love amongst whom I regard as pioneers. I have so much respect and admiration for previous OAM recipients in the field of skydiving and still feel I have much more to give.’’

When asked what’s next on the horizon, it doesn’t seem McConnel will be putting the brakes on anytime soon.

‘’More coaching and skydiving, organising Australian record events and continue to raise the profile of skydiving as a sport.’’

To nominate someone for an award visit https://www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awards/nominate-someone-award