SDMW Ballistix MFS Team Spotlight
Skydive Midwest is proud to sponsor SDMW Ballistix MFS Advanced team with a go-getter attitude. These kids are always out at the dz or in the tunnel working on their discipline with huge smiles on their faces. Corey Wilt and Denise Kruzikas Wilt are a husband-wife duo (flying inside) with Ben Shafer on the drums (flying video).
The team placed 5th at the 2022 USPA Skydiving National Championships and they hope to move up to a podium position in 2023. All 3 team members can be found organizing everything from belly jumps to angles at SDMW during the summer. We connected with the team with some interview questions to help you get to know them a little better and allow them to share some of what they’ve learned from being on a team. They are clearly fans of fun, each other, and the heavy dong.
In Their Own Words
Ben Shafer
Q: What is your favorite block?
A: Really anything with speed changes. I love the challenge of keeping everything in frame through the change.
Q: What are some benefits of being on a team and would you recommend it to others?
A: Literally everyone should join a team. Even just a fun team. It’s a great way to continue to push your limits as a flyer and the social side of competition is great! You meet so many people.
Q: What are your goals for the team?
A: I really think we can podium next year. We’re really starting to click and starting to push each other.
Q: What’s your favorite memory or skydive with your team?
A: The team giving me a wave or a heavy dong at the end of each and every jump.
Q: What is something you struggled with and how did you overcome it?
A: I think trying to engineer blocks like other teams rather than what’s right for our team. Really just trying new ways to build the block and seeing what works best for the team.
Corey Wilt
Q: What advice would you give other jumpers on new teams?
A: Be patient with yourself and your teammates. Never stop learning, even if it takes longer than you think it should.
Q: What do you love about being on a team?
A: The camaraderie between teams and teammates.
Q: What’s the secret to being successful?
A: Pushing yourself without burning out.
Q: What’s your favorite memory or skydive with your team?
A: Throwing out heavy dongs at the end of every jump.
Denise Kruzikas Wilt
Q: What’s the secret to being successful?
A: Perseverance. You go through challenges – but that’s what makes it awesome because you see what is possible when you break through them. And doing it as a team is even better, as you get to celebrate all your individual & collective wins together.
Q: What is something you struggled with and how did you overcome it?
A: Getting more aggressive is something I have long struggled with. And I had to figure out how to learn myself, what I needed, to feel comfortable doing it. Once I did, I was able to go to my amazingly supportive team and say, “Hey, this is what I need. I think if I can try it with you, it would help me a lot. Do you think we can give it a go?” And they responded immediately, consistently. From that point on, I flew stronger and I gained so much confidence not just in myself, but in them. I’ll never forget how they were there for me and the turning point that became.
Q: What’s something your team enjoys doing together outside of skydiving?
A: Hanging with all our pups, at the DZ or Chicago or wherever. We’re huge dog lovers, so it’s easy for us to chill over a movie or a beer with our 4-legged guys happily with us.
Q: What’s your favorite memory or skydive with your team?
A: This season, our video guy gave us a high five on every jump. Whether it was stellar or a disaster, he kept it fun every time. Oh, and heavy dongs! I love that they became our end-jump team random.