Ever since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to be a pilot. I have studied the air all my life, and for a decade now I have been doing my dream job - I am a helicopter pilot. Although I only started paragliding recently, I am delighted with this new discipline. It all started because I was climbing the peaks in the Sierra Nevada, on the edge of the Owens Valley, and I saw three paragliders flying overhead. "Boom! That's it," I thought. I said to my partner, "I've got to do that". I wanted so badly to fly over the Owens and take in the spectacular views from above.
I knew the area had a reputation for strong conditions, and that I would need an advanced level of flying, but I wanted to do whatever it took to get there. I started taking flying lessons immediately and surrounded myself with amazing mentors who let me work for them on an SIV programme and guide around the world. Once I had my qualification, I told myself that in that first year I would take my glider out of the bag every day to go out and fly, and that's exactly what I did. 365 days of flying in a row. A year after watching those pilots fly over my head as I climbed, I was there with them, 18,000 feet above the Owens. Dreams do come true.
Being an athlete and nature lover is also part of my DNA. I love training and being outdoors. Running in the mountains, lifting weights and eating balanced meals makes me feel confident when flying into the unknown and being able to not only survive, but thrive. Pushing myself more and more, training hard and wanting to see more from the air, has led me to compete in hike & fly races. In addition to many local competitions, I have been lucky enough to participate in the Eiger Tour, UAE Hike & Fly Championship, X-Red Rocks and the X-Pyr. I am currently training for my biggest challenge: the Red Bull X-Alps 2023.
I have been lucky enough to test many Niviuk gliders and I am in love with their handling and manoeuvrability. Especially the
Klimber 2 P and the
Icepeak X-One, which for me are the epitome of "fun". I've just received my
Artik R and my
Arrow harness and I'm delighted. I've been looking forward to this new generation of gliders and harnesses and they haven't let me down, so let's see what the future brings!
I've been on many incredible paragliding adventures, and they just keep getting better and better. On one of my favourite flights, Honza Rejmanek and I took off from Walt's Point and flew over the Owens in brutally cold temperatures to land high in the mountains. We ended up in extremely remote terrain. That night, Honza pulled out two 16oz steaks from the harness to cook on the fire. Unforgettable memories... And delicious too!
