Simplify the following text for a Grade 5 native English-speaking person.
Original: True ski jumping originates in Norway in 1809 when a Norwegian lieutenant launched himself 9.5 metres in the air in front of his soldiers .
Simplified: Olaf Rye , a Norwegian lieutenant , was the first known ski jumper . In 1809 , he launched himself 9.5 metres in the air in front of an audience of other soldiers .