PHILADELPHIA - Twenty-five-year-old Gemma Kirby is marking a milestone of sorts in her dare devilish career.
For the 500th time, she turned herself into a human cannonball to the thrill of about 5,000 spectators Saturday night at a Circus XTREME show in Philadelphia.
A show spokeswoman says the petite Minnesota woman, dressed in a sparkly silver outfit, shot out of the cannon, moved through the air at up to 66 mph (106 kph)and landed safely in an air bag about 104 feet (32 metres) away. Spokeswoman Chelsey Scalese says Kirby's act took only about 3 seconds.
Kirby is travelling with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey show. She was one of several acts designed to take the audience's breath away. A BMX troupe and parkour performers on trampoline also awed the crowd.
