NSL News continues to expand the NSL Profiles with the addition of female formation skydiving competitors. The vast majority of male featured athletes on SKYLEAGUE.COM were pointed out in February of this year. In response, the NSL News introduced four new NSL Profiles highlighting female competitors, while additional male profiles were temporarily put on hold.

JaNette Lefkowitz is now the fifth consecutive female athlete added to the NSL Profiles, bringing the current balance to 31 male and 11 female profiles. Although progress has been made, there is still a long way to go before this proportion reflects the actual gender balance in formation skydiving competition, where gender separation has no impact during freefall.

JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz are best known for the creation of the Rhythm 4-way project, which they launched together in 2007 at Chicagoland Skydiving Center.

Steve Lefkowitz, JaNette’s husband and a former decathlon athlete, progressed rapidly in 4-way formation skydiving competition, becoming one of the most sought-after elite competitors in the United States. Despite opportunities to join other top teams, he resisted the temptation and remained committed to the dream project he and his wife had built together.

Notably, JaNette Lefkowitz was Steve’s first instructor, teacher, and coach when he made his very first jump. Over time, the former student would become a mentor to his instructor in the realm of competitive skydiving.

The consistency, logic, and long-term commitment to the Rhythm concept ultimately paid off. In 2019, JaNette and Steve led their team to a national outdoor championship title and earned selection as the USPA National Team in 4-way Open for the Tanay Mondial 2020.

By that time, the Rhythm project had expanded into other areas of formation skydiving, relocated to Skydive Chicago, and undergone several lineup changes along the way.

At the same time, the Lefkowitz family was growing. JaNette Lefkowitz withdrew from competition at the World Championship in August 2021 as she prepared for the birth of their daughter, Sage.

Former SDC Rhythm XP team member Christy Frikken stepped into JaNette Lefkowitz’s slot at Tanay 2021, where Rhythm earned the FAI silver medals. JaNette Lefkowitz cites her former Rhythm teammate (2013–2015) and substitute (2020–2021) as one of her mentors. In fact, she considers all of her teammates to be mentors in skydiving, reflecting the strong team culture and collaborative dynamics for which SDC Rhythm XP has been well known.

JaNette Lefkowitz has long understood the importance of stepping in at the right moment. In 2016, the all-female Golden Knights lineup faced an emergency when team member Angela Nichols was unable to continue after the final competition with the full lineup at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship in March.

With only six months to find a substitute and train for the outdoor World Championship in September, the Golden Knights needed immediate support. JaNette Lefkowitz volunteered for the slot, and the team went on to win the gold medals in 4-way Women. The FAI Outdoor World Championship 2016 remains one of JaNette Lefkowitz’s favorite competitions, as noted in her NSL Profile.

Although JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz are no longer active members of SDC Rhythm XP, they continue to manage its business operations. Both remain deeply involved in the sport through training, competition, and coaching other teams. That commitment is unlikely to change, as JaNette envisions herself in ten years “enjoying time with my family and staying active in the skydiving community.”