In the summer of 2013, a friend of mine took me for a tandem flight. I liked it and saw it as a challenge to learn something new. In the beginning, I was so focused on learning all the small things correctly that it wasn't until much later that I fell in love with flying. At last I had found the perfect weekend activity. And it was a lasting love, because I still get goosebumps when I'm in the air.
At first I didn’t get cross-country flying and I heard on a podcast that the quickest way to learn it was to go to competitions. So that is what I did. After the third competition I knew I was on the right track and that I had a lot to learn. From that moment onwards, I prepared my progression to competition paragliding by improving my flying skills and the mental side. I love racing and usually my goal is to get a good place in the overall standings.
Being
ranked first place in the women's category of the Serial Cup was the key moment when I realised that I was good at racing. My aim was to enter
PWCs and the world championships. I have been
the highest ranked woman in Romania for 6 years and last year my dream of becoming a PWC pilot came true.
This year I am competing in the world championships for the first time and also in some PWCs. My priority is to fly faster and improve my mental concentration. I am also getting into acro and want to spend some time learning some basic manoeuvres. My motto when flying (and in competitions) is: “Play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.”
I started flying Niviuk gliders in my progression to 2-liners. Even with my first
Kilmber I won a few podium places. Then I flew the
Peak 5. I immediately fell in love with the feedback I got from the wing. I feel the
Peak and I speak the same language.
I have now taken the step up to the
Icepeak X-One and it has been a marvel. Converting to the wing was so smooth, so natural, it gave me exactly the same feeling as the Peak.
What I love about all Niviuk gliders is the way they speak to me as a pilot, the handling and the performance. 
