What Caught my Attention in Paragliding

My passion for flying started at a young age.

I was born and raised in Venezuela and for as long as I can remember, I've dreamed about flying. I've been obsessed with it my entire life. 

I loved watching the birds and planes fly. My drawings were about flying. My favorite Little Pony had wings. And whenever someone asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I'd say: a bird! That eventually changed to astronaut, fighter pilot, and a skydiver, but it was always related to flying!

I discovered free flying when I was around 3 years old and saw a hang glider for the first time. I was amazed when my parents explained that one could fly with that.

It wasn't until I was 12 that I saw a paraglider for the first time and when I saw you could fit in a backpack and carry it around, I knew that's what I wanted to do. I guess the simplicity of the sport is what caught my attention.

When I was 17, I found a paragliding school in Caracas and called them. But when I told my parents, I didn't get their permission. They told me that once I was of age and had my own money, I could do whatever I wanted.

I finally started flying when I was 21 and I loved it from the first day. I remember on the second day of ground handling, I got lifted about half a meter and it was magical. That's when I knew I had chosen the right way to fly.

Since then, my life has revolved around flying. After flying cross country and competitions for a year, I decided I wanted to become a professional and despite how impossible people said it was, I was able to live from paragliding for over a decade.

I discovered Hike & Fly and fell in love with it because it allows me to walk in the mountains and fly from remote places. It's a great alternative when conditions are not suitable for flying long distances or just for squeezing a short flight before work.

In 2016, I moved to France looking for more freedom to fly and because the French Alps are a great place to fly! I've discovered a new playground full of possibilities for new projects and adventures.

After flying for half my life, I still live and breathe paragliding. I love flying long distances, setting new goals for myself, but I still feel like when I started: amazed every time my feet leave the ground!