Goodable

Public libraries are true joys of the community! Mychal, an inspiring librarian on Instagram recently witnessed a heartwarming moment at his workplace here a child asked their non-Spanish-speaking parent to read a book in Spanish. A series of heartwarming gestures followed: another child offered to read, then another child kindly tried despite not knowing the language, until finally, an older child stepped in, and the three of them read the book together.

Public libraries bring so much to their communities, as evidenced by a librarian who witnessed the sweetest interaction. Known on Instagram as Mychal, the young man recently shared a video about something that happened at his workplace. He says that he overheard a child asking their dad to read them a book in Spanish. The parent didn’t know any Spanish, but another child came up and offered to read it out loud.
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Love in Action *Handing out Flowers to Strangers*
Adorable, right? Well, the story didn’t end there! Another adult approached the dad and apologetically explained that the second child didn’t actually know any Spanish, either. As the two grown-ups shared a laugh, an older child saw the two small kids struggling with the book. Thankfully, the third child actually understood the language and wanted to help.
“Can we all read the book together?” they asked before stepping in.
After sharing this cute story, the librarian ended by saying that “library kids are going to save the world.”
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Watch: This Sweet Moment at a Library Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity

Science Daily

A team of researchers at McGill University has developed a new injectable hydrogel that could one day help people recover from vocal cord injuries more effectively — and with fewer repeat procedures.

The new material, described in the journal Biomaterials, shows early promise as a longer-lasting alternative to current voice restoration treatments. In preclinical tests, the gel stayed intact for weeks, giving damaged vocal cords more time to heal.

Voice loss can become permanent when scar tissue forms on the vocal cords, a common result of injury. While injectable fillers are used today to help restore the voice, they tend to break down quickly in the body. That often means repeated injections, each of which increases the risk of further damaging the already fragile tissue.

A Stronger, More Stable Gel

The hydrogel is made from natural tissue proteins that are first processed into a powder, then transformed into a gel. To enhance its durability, the team used a chemical technique called “click chemistry” — a method that acts like a molecular glue, locking the gel together at a microscopic level.

“This process is what makes our approach unique,” said co-senior author Maryam Tabrizian, a professor in McGill’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Canada Research Chair in Nanomedicine and Regenerative Medicine. “It acts like a molecular glue, locking the material together so it doesn’t fall apart too quickly once injected.”

A Common, Overlooked Condition

Vocal cord injuries are more common than many people realize. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, around one in 13 adults experiences a voice disorder each year. Older adults, people with acid reflux, and smokers are particularly vulnerable, as are professionals who use their voices constantly — such as teachers, singers, and radio hosts.

“People take their voices for granted,” said co-senior author Nicole Li-Jessen, an associate professor in McGill’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “But losing it can deeply affect mental health and quality of life, especially for those whose livelihoods depend on it.”

Li-Jessen, who also holds a Canada Research Chair in Personalized Medicine of Upper Airway Health and Diseases, brings a personal understanding of the issue. As a trained pianist and clinician-scientist working closely with vocal performers, she’s seen the emotional and professional toll voice loss can have.

What’s Next

The team plans to further study the hydrogel using computer simulations to better understand how it behaves inside the human body. If those simulations confirm its stability and safety, the next step will be clinical trials in humans.

The goal is a minimally invasive treatment that can reduce the need for repeat procedures and offer lasting support to people recovering from vocal injuries.

The study, titled Clicktetrazine dECM-alginate hydrogels for injectable, mechanically mimetic, and biologically active vocal fold biomaterials, was authored by Mika Brown, Hideaki Okuyama, Ling Li, Zhen Yang, Jianyu Li, Maryam Tabrizian, and Nicole Li-Jessen. It was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Canada Research Chair research stipends.

A New Gel Created by Researchers in Montreal is Helping People Regain Their Voices

Fox News

A golden retriever named Phoenix is safe and warm after a dramatic rescue from a frozen pond in Rhode Island that kicked off the New Year for firefighters with a reminder: no ice is safe.

The dog fell through the ice on Little Maschaug Pond in Westerly just before 9 a.m. on January 1, while out on a morning walk with its owner. According to the Misquamicut Fire Department, Phoenix had wandered toward the center of the pond, where the ice gave way. His owner could only watch helplessly from the shore.

Firefighters from Misquamicut and neighboring departments were on scene within minutes, outfitted in bright red and orange ice rescue suits. Tethered with safety ropes, they crawled across the dangerously thin ice as it cracked and broke beneath them. Photos and video show chunks of ice floating around them as they reached the struggling dog.

“Volunteers were on scene within minutes and located Phoenix, a golden retriever, struggling in the water and unable to move with his owner safely on shore,” the Misquamicut Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post.

Backup came from the Watch Hill Fire Department, which brought additional gear. Crews also deployed an inflatable rescue boat and staged equipment along the shoreline in case the situation worsened.

“Members from both fire departments quickly donned ice rescue suits and entered the pond, making a swift and successful rescue,” the post continued.

Once Phoenix was pulled from the water, firefighters carried him back to shore, where emergency medical personnel checked both the dog and the rescuers for signs of hypothermia. Everyone was reported to be doing well and didn’t require medical treatment.

The response drew immediate praise online, with hundreds of people commenting on the fire department’s post.

“God bless you for saving that pup,” one Facebook user wrote. “Responders like you remind us that there is good and kindness.”

Another added, “We are all so lucky to have such great fire and rescue departments. A very lucky dog!”

The department used the moment to issue a seasonal warning about the dangers of frozen water bodies.

“No ice is ever safe,” officials said, adding that even with training and proper equipment, ice rescues are risky.

The incident marked the first emergency call of 2026 for the Misquamicut Fire Department.

“All of the Chiefs from MFD and WHFD extend kudos to everyone involved for their quick response and teamwork this morning,” the department said.

Firefighters Rescued a Golden Retriever From an Icy Pond in a Dramatic New Year’s Day Save

Euro News

A few decades ago, padel was little more than a niche pastime, born from one man’s frustration over a lack of space to build a tennis court. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the world — and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

From buzzing clubs in southern Spain to new venues opening across Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, padel is booming. What was once a modest hobby played behind glass walls has exploded into a global sensation, with tens of millions of people picking up a racket and stepping onto the court.

Padel’s origin story begins in 1960s Acapulco, Mexico. Enrique Corcuera, a tennis enthusiast, didn’t have the room to build a regulation court. So he improvised. He built a smaller court with surrounding walls that kept the ball in play — and unintentionally created an entirely new game.

One of his friends, Spanish aristocrat Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg, visited Corcuera’s home, tried the new sport, and was immediately hooked. In 1974, he built the first two padel courts in Marbella, Spain. From there, the game spread quickly throughout Spain and into Argentina, Uruguay, and other Spanish-speaking countries.

Today, padel is played in over 130 countries. According to the International Padel Federation (FIP), more than 90 of those countries now have organized federations.

Why It’s Taking Off

The appeal is simple: padel is accessible, fun, and highly social. Most often played in doubles on a compact court about a third the size of a tennis court, padel keeps the ball in play longer thanks to the glass walls, which allow for rebounds and make rallies more forgiving.

“It’s relatively easy to move the ball from one side of the court to the other,” says Francis Calvache, a padel coach and the highest-ranked player in Spain’s Almería province. “And because there are also walls, you have the chance for the ball to bounce back and not lose it, unlike in tennis.”

The rules are easy to learn, even for beginners, and games often favour tactics and positioning over pure power. That makes it appealing to all ages — from young children to retirees.

Padel’s popularity isn’t limited to elite clubs. In Spain, it’s everywhere: in apartment complexes, public parks, and beach towns. In the coastal village of San José, for instance, a group of local women meet every Friday morning for casual games. None of them has taken a formal lesson, but rallies are spirited and full of laughter.

“It reminds me of when I used to play bat and ball on the beach,” says María Jesus, one of the players. “It brings me back to those beach moments with my family in summer.”

The sport’s growth has been helped along by its affordability. Compared to tennis courts, padel courts are cheaper to build and maintain, and more players can rotate through in a day. That’s made the sport especially attractive to private sports clubs and local governments looking to promote community health.

Spain remains the powerhouse of the professional game. As of 2025, seven of the top ten male players in the world are Spanish. But other countries are quickly catching up. Argentina continues to be a major contender, while growth across Europe, the Middle East, and North America is accelerating.

In the UK, the Lawn Tennis Association says over 400,000 people played padel at least once in 2025 — a number that’s climbing fast.

For a sport born out of limited space, padel is expanding with remarkable ease. As demand increases, more clubs are popping up in cities that just a few years ago had never heard of the sport.

It’s fast-paced, beginner-friendly, and doesn’t require years of training to enjoy. Whether you’re a seasoned tennis player or just looking for a new way to spend an hour with friends, padel offers something unique — and clearly, the world is taking notice.

Why Padael is Set To Become One Of The Fastest-Growing Sports By 2026

People

When Kara Baldus-Mehrmann sits down at her piano, her dog Bradford knows the routine. As soon as the music starts, the fluffy white pup climbs into her lap, closes his eyes, and sways to the sound. Together, the two have become one of TikTok’s most comforting corners of the internet — a place where music, calm, and canine charm come together.

“It’s the dream,” says Baldus-Mehrmann, a longtime jazz piano instructor at Washington University in St. Louis. “And I didn’t realize that my sweet dog angel would be a part of getting my music out there.”

Baldus-Mehrmann first began uploading videos with Bradford during the COVID-19 lockdown. Teaching her university students remotely from a basement piano, she noticed Bradford liked to sit with her while she played. Her students loved it. A friend encouraged her to post a clip to TikTok, and it didn’t take long for one video — a song from Amélie — to go viral.

That moment sparked a wave of support and interest that hasn’t slowed down. Her account now has more than 175,000 followers and nearly 5 million likes, with near-daily videos of her playing song requests while Bradford rests, blinks, and sways — almost meditatively — in her lap.

“He believes he is a lap dog,” she jokes.

Baldus-Mehrmann has been playing piano since the age of 5. “It’s all I’ve ever known,” she says. A passion for jazz led her to study jazz piano in college, followed by a master’s in jazz performance. She’s been teaching for over 20 years.

Bradford came into her life 13 years ago, when she rescued him at just 12 weeks old. Now, the pair are inseparable, and their gentle, music-filled videos have reached audiences far beyond their hometown. Even celebrities have taken notice — singer SZA commented “I LOVE BRADFORD,” while Charlie Puth called him a “great listener.” The official Pixar account chimed in too, especially when she played the theme from Up.

“I’m just amazed by the musicians that follow me,” she says. “I think I need to collab with more people.”

But the account isn’t just about music. It's grown into a small online refuge — something Baldus-Mehrmann says she's especially grateful for after sharing news of Bradford’s cancer diagnosis a few years ago. She wasn’t sure whether to go public with it, but the outpouring of support was overwhelming.

“Everyone’s like, ‘I’m thinking good thoughts for you,’” she recalls. “That part has been really lovely — all the good vibes.”

The relationship flows both ways. She regularly gets messages from followers saying her content helped them through hard days or provided a few minutes of peace from the nonstop doomscrolling that defines most timelines.

“It’s a joyful thing no matter what’s going on in their day,” she says. “They can just rest and breathe easy, look at [his] sweet face, and listen to some piano.”

Bradford is now up for a Pet Lovers’ Choice Award in the macroinfluencer category — a nod to just how many people he’s reached. And while she has a few big ideas in the works, including a possible children’s book inspired by Bradford, Baldus-Mehrmann says her focus is on staying true to what works.

“I’m just letting him be a bright spot in the social media world,” she says. “Whatever it evolved into, I’m so grateful.”

Piano Teacher and Her Pup Go Viral on TikTok — One Soothing Song at a Time

Kaci Spampinato has always believed in being there for her students — but she never imagined it would lead to adopting one of their children. In 2014, the longtime Texas teacher got a Facebook message asking if she had any baby items to donate. That small request would change her life forever.

The baby belonged to one of Spampinato’s former students — a teen she hadn’t seen since 2009. They’d lost touch after the student moved foster homes. But when another teacher reached out to say the young woman had just given birth and needed help, Spampinato didn’t hesitate.

She gathered baby supplies and brought her sons along to reconnect. “I don't know if you remember me,” she told the young mom, “but I'd love to come and see you.” The student did remember her — clearly.

They spent the afternoon catching up, and before leaving, Spampinato handed over her phone number: “If you ever need anything, let me know.”

A few days later, the young mom called, saying things had become unsafe in her apartment complex. Spampinato and her husband, Mike, welcomed her and the baby into their home.

It was during that visit — swimming in the backyard — that the young woman asked a life-altering question: “Do you think you and Mike would adopt him?”

What she didn’t know was that Spampinato had recently suffered a miscarriage. “We're believers,” Spampinato said. “And I had always said, ‘If God wants me to have a baby, he’s gonna drop one in my lap.’ And he did.”

Initially, the baby's biological father wasn’t on board. The couple returned home, and Spampinato assumed the conversation was over — until weeks later, when she got another call. Child Protective Services was at the apartment. “She said, ‘Do you still want him?’”

Spampinato rushed over with her husband and mother. With the caseworker present, they packed up the baby and brought him home.

After a home study and legal proceedings, the adoption was finalized on February 25, 2015. The little boy, Kash, officially became part of their family.

Spampinato, now 49, says she’ll never forget holding Kash for the first time. “There was no expectation whatsoever to adopt him at that time,” she said. “But when I put him up on my shoulder, I just kind of knew.”

Kash fit right in. Her eldest son, Kade, was already a young adult, but her younger son Krew was just a few years older than Kash. Her extended family rallied immediately, including her parents, who already had a deep connection to adoption — Spampinato has an adopted brother. “It just was so natural and organic,” she said. “You can’t help but think that he was placed perfectly with us.”

As Kash has grown up, he’s started to ask questions. Once, while driving past a hospital, he said, “Mommy, remember when I was in your belly?” Spampinato gently reminded him he wasn’t, then showed him a photo of his biological mother. “He looked at her and said, ‘I wub her.’ And I said, ‘I wub her too.’”

She’s kept in touch with his birth mother when possible. Kash occasionally likes or comments on photos of Kash online. Spampinato always makes sure her son knows the decision to place him for adoption came from love. “We always say, ‘They loved you more than anyone could ever love you because they knew what was best for you.’”

Spampinato recently shared their adoption story on TikTok in hopes of connecting with other adoptive families — and inspiring others, especially educators, to recognize their power to change lives. “Maybe another teacher sees this and thinks, ‘What kind of impact am I having on my students? Do they know someone is there to love them?’”

Every year, the family celebrates Kash’s adoption day on February 25 with his favorite meal: creamy mac and cheese. Now 11, Kash loves to fish and hopes to join his high school’s fishing team one day.

“He is exactly what we needed,” Spampinato said. “He asks inquisitive questions. He is a deep thinker. He's just a lover of life — and we sure love him.”

Texas Teacher Adopts Former Student’s Baby After Life-Changing Facebook Message

Inverse

Long before the Avengers assembled and Batman brooded in IMAX, one masked vigilante was setting the standard for on-screen superhero action — and confusing audiences with his oddly complex backstory. On January 4, 1941, The Green Hornet Strikes Again! hit theaters as the second film serial for a character who wasn’t from DC or Marvel, but from the golden age of radio.

Eighty-five years later, it still holds up — at least, in its own peculiar way.

Originally created in 1936 by Fran Striker and George W. Trendle, the Green Hornet started life as a radio hero. Unlike many of his peers, he wasn't born in a comic book panel but in the sound booth, alongside a swirling score and pulpy narration. By 1941, he was so popular he was already getting a sequel — something few radio characters achieved at the time.

The Green Hornet Strikes Again! followed a successful first serial, but with a notable change: the lead role of Britt Reid was recast. Out went Gordon Jones (whose voice had been dubbed over by original radio actor Al Hodge), and in came Warren Hull, offering a slightly smoother, friendlier Hornet — think George Clooney Batman versus Val Kilmer Batman.

For those unfamiliar, the Green Hornet is not, as many assume, a DC Comics creation. Instead, he exists in the same narrative universe as The Lone Ranger — literally. Canonically, Britt Reid is the grandnephew of the Lone Ranger, which makes The Green Hornet one of the earliest examples of a shared superhero universe. Interconnected mythologies and convoluted backstories? The 1930s were already doing it.

Watching the 15-part serial today feels like stepping into a time capsule — complete with cliffhangers, villains in fedoras, and narration that treats every fistfight like a national emergency. It’s repetitive, sure, and the plot doesn’t move much from episode to episode. But there's an undeniable charm in its structure: the Hornet blackmails crooks by pretending to be one himself, and somehow the double deception holds up.

Unlike later heroes, the Green Hornet wasn’t exactly invincible. In fact, he gets knocked around quite a bit — a deliberate narrative stall to keep the serial's pacing nice and slow. But that just adds to the pulp appeal. He may don a gas gun and a sleek mask, but Britt Reid often feels more like a tired beat reporter than a superhero, and somehow that makes him more believable.

The serial also carries unexpected sci-fi undertones. Though grounded in crime noir, it was cut and co-directed by veterans of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, and the influence shows. It even uses a text crawl recap before each episode — a detail that would later become iconic thanks to Star Wars.

Compared to the 1966 TV revival starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee, the original Hornet is slower and stiffer. Keye Luke plays Kato solidly in the 1941 version, but Bruce Lee’s presence in the later series redefined the role — and arguably overshadowed the Hornet himself.

Still, The Green Hornet Strikes Again! deserves credit. It helped translate a radio icon to the screen, cementing the viability of superheroes in visual media. It’s campy. It’s slow. But it laid the groundwork for nearly a century of superhero storytelling.

If you’re looking for tight pacing and complex character arcs, this isn’t it. But if you appreciate pulpy dialogue, noir aesthetics, and the strange, looping charm of Golden Age storytelling, the Green Hornet still has a sting.

Eighty-five years on, that’s not a bad legacy.

The Green Hornet Strikes Again! Celebrates 85 Years as a Superhero Pioneer

BBC News

For nearly three years, Bobby the greyhound watched as dog after dog left the shelter for a new life. He stayed behind, day after day, overlooked and waiting.

That wait finally ended this week.

After 1,064 days at Woodside Animal Welfare Trust in Plymouth, the six-year-old rescue dog has been adopted — just in time for the new year.

Bobby’s new owner, Peter Hart, said the decision to adopt him came the moment he saw his photo. “When I found out he'd been here for three years I couldn't believe it,” Hart said. “That's a long time for a dog to be in kennels.”

The pair met at the sanctuary and immediately bonded. “We went and sat in his kennel,” Hart recalled. “It took him a few minutes and then he jumped up on the couch and flumped on me.”

Shelter staff said Bobby’s story is one they’ve been hoping to rewrite for a long time. Since arriving at Woodside in February 2023, Bobby has watched hundreds of dogs come and go. He was repeatedly passed over — likely due to a combination of age, coat colour, and the mistaken belief that greyhounds need high levels of exercise.

He also wasn’t fond of sharing his toys, which didn’t help.

Despite that, staff at the shelter believed Bobby had potential — and just needed the right person. Now, with Hart, he seems to have found it.

“We are over-the-moon,” said senior manager Debbie Haynes. “We've been waiting such a long time for Bobby to find a wonderful home and we are so delighted that he finally has.”

The trust described the match as instant. Bobby and Hart “hit it off” straight away, and he officially went home on Tuesday.

For Bobby, it’s the end of a very long chapter. For shelter staff, it’s the happy ending they’d been hoping for.

After 1,064 Days in a Shelter, Bobby the Greyhound Finally Finds a Home

More than 18,000 Delaware residents will end the year with a lighter burden — and less medical debt — thanks to a first-of-its-kind state initiative.

Governor Matt Meyer announced this week that nearly $19 million in medical debt has been eliminated so far as part of Delaware’s new medical debt relief program. The effort is funded through a $500,000 investment in the state’s FY 2026 budget and carried out in partnership with Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit that purchases and cancels unpaid medical bills.

“With this first $19 million in debt wiped away, we’re showing what’s possible when states invest in practical solutions to deliver real relief,” said Meyer. “We’re already helping over 18,000 Delawareans sleep easier this holiday season, and we look forward to more good news in 2026.”

The nonprofit works by purchasing bundled medical debt portfolios from hospitals and debt collectors at steep discounts — often for pennies on the dollar. On average, $1 can erase about $100 of medical debt, according to the governor’s office.

To date, 18,145 people across Delaware have had a portion or all of their qualifying debt erased. The goal is to reach up to $50 million in medical debt relief statewide in the coming months.

“There is no application process,” said Undue Medical Debt President and CEO Allison Sesso. “Eligibility is based on financial need.”

Residents who qualify will receive official notification letters in the mail confirming that their medical debt has been abolished. The first round of letters is being sent between December 19 and 23, and will serve as a receipt of debt cancellation.

“Medical debt is both a financial and emotional burden; no one chooses to get sick, be in an accident, or have a chronic condition,” Sesso said. “This partnership will provide welcome relief to families facing financial hardship simply from seeking necessary care.”

The Delaware initiative joins a growing wave of local and state governments exploring medical debt relief as a public health and economic strategy — tackling one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy in the U.S. and providing a path toward greater financial stability for thousands of families.

Delaware Wipes Out $19M in Medical Debt For More Than 18,000 People

Space

It might look like winter whimsy from space, but this “snowman” on the coast of Siberia is anything but ordinary.

On June 16, 2025, NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite captured a striking image of a string of frozen, oval-shaped lagoons hugging the shoreline near Billings, Russia. The layout was so precise, the entire formation resembled a perfectly stacked snowman pressed against the Arctic coast.

But this isn’t just a fun pattern. The image offers scientists valuable insights into how ice, land, and water interact in one of the planet’s most dynamic cold regions.

A frozen scene in mid-June

Billings, a remote Arctic settlement established in the 1930s as a Soviet port, sits on a narrow spit of land between the Arctic Ocean and a set of linked coastal lagoons. The area lies along Russia’s Chukchi Peninsula, a prime example of what geologists call an “edge zone” — where land, water, ice, and wind constantly reshape each other.

Despite being the warmest part of the year, mid-June in this part of Siberia still means freezing temperatures. NASA says the average minimum temperature hovers around −0.6°C (−30.9°F), so it’s no surprise the lagoons and coastline remain locked in ice.

The satellite image shows ice-covered lagoons and dense sea ice along the coast — a rare glimpse into how frozen landscapes persist even in Arctic summer.

Why the image matters

The snowman shape might grab attention, but researchers are more interested in what it shows: a clear, consistent view of a permafrost-laden landscape caught mid-thaw.

Images like this help scientists understand how seasonal freezing and melting affect fragile Arctic coastlines. These regions are vulnerable to rapid erosion, habitat shifts, and changes that can disrupt Indigenous communities, shipping routes, and wildlife.

The contrast between the lagoon ice, sea ice, and surrounding land gives researchers critical data on ice coverage and shoreline behavior.

How Landsat 8 does it

Launched in 2013, Landsat 8 is one of the most dependable satellites in Earth science. It orbits roughly 700 kilometers above the planet and revisits the same spot every 16 days. That kind of schedule, combined with consistent, medium-resolution imaging, allows scientists to track changes across time, not just capture snapshots.

Landsat 8 carries two main instruments: the Operational Land Imager (OLI), which captures visible and infrared light in 30-meter resolution, and a panchromatic sensor that sharpens detail to 15 meters. It’s ideal for broad views that still show enough detail to make sense of what’s happening on the ground — or in this case, on the ice.

A record-breaking snowman?

The “snowman” seen from orbit spans roughly 22 kilometers, or about 14 miles, from top to bottom. For context, the tallest actual snowman ever built — according to Guinness World Records — stood just 37.2 meters tall (about 0.02 miles), constructed in Bethel, Maine.

That makes this Arctic version not only natural, but thousands of times larger — even if it melts a little faster.

NASA spots massive ‘snowman’ on Siberian coast — and it’s 14 miles tall

Simon-Pierre Bouchard has spent thousands of hours in the sky, but nothing quite compared to this.

Leaping out of a plane more than 4,200 metres above Florida, the veteran skydiver from Quebec joined 16 other Canadians and dozens of international teammates in an attempt to break the world record for largest canopy formation.

“When we exit the plane, the first few seconds are in free fall, so we see the plane going away,” Bouchard said. “This is exhilarating, this is what gets me to fly.”

The jump happened on November 22 in Lake Wales, Florida. A total of 104 skydivers from around the world leapt from eight separate aircraft, aiming to dock their parachutes together mid-air to form a giant diamond-shaped canopy.

To pull it off, each person had to open their parachute in just the right place, time their descent perfectly, and lock onto others without tangling lines—a mistake that could prove deadly.

Those jumping from the highest altitudes, more than 5,700 metres, had to use oxygen tanks to avoid hypoxia, a condition caused by low oxygen at high elevations. The team had just 11 minutes to complete the formation before the landing zone came too close.

“It was hard to believe at first,” said Quebec City police officer Jean-François Denis, who also took part in the record attempt. “People were giving hugs, high fives and shouting with joy.”

Denis had trained nearly five years to qualify for the elite group. He adopted a strict diet and fitness regimen, losing more than 15 pounds to meet the requirements.

“I didn’t get any cheat days or cheat meals,” he said.

The celebration didn’t begin immediately. After the jump, the team had to wait two hours while international judges analyzed video footage and measurements to determine whether the attempt had succeeded.

Eventually, word came: they had done it.

“We need to trust, individually, everyone that is in this formation, even though we don’t know them personally,” Bouchard said. “I couldn’t stop smiling.”

The record, originally set in 2007, now awaits final approval from the International Skydiving Commission before being officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

“We have to demonstrate that we all have proper lines to hold and the canopies of every jumper needs to be at a certain height above them,” Denis explained.

He has completed over 1,600 jumps, but this was something else. The day after setting the record, the group attempted to beat it again—this time aiming for 111 skydivers—but a few missteps kept them from locking in a second record.

“We were so close to get 111 but there were some mistakes,” Denis said. Still, he’s hopeful there will be another chance.

Getting into an event like this is no small feat. Skydivers had to qualify at one of eight selection camps held globally, including one in Quebec.

Even with years of experience, participating in a large canopy formation goes against what most skydivers are taught early on: stay away from other parachutes.

“The first thing you learn is to stay away from other [parachutes] because getting entangled or wrapped in someone else’s at low altitude can be really dangerous,” Denis said. But when done correctly, he added, “it creates a bond with the people you’re jumping with.”

Gregory Perrimond, owner of Parachute Montréal, said the discipline of canopy formation is something of a lost art. “It must have been really complicated for the organizers,” he said, pointing to the difficulty of finding enough people with the right experience.

While Florida was chosen for its more predictable skies, the wind still proved to be a challenge.

“Imagine the wind isn’t stable on such a huge formation,” Perrimond said. “It takes a lot of work to keep it in place.”

Still, despite the difficulty—and the danger—the thrill of defying gravity with dozens of others in perfect sync continues to draw skydivers like Bouchard and Denis back to the skies.

And next time, they’re aiming for 111.

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