Self-Professed Adrenaline Junkie Takes Flight

“The first time I went skydiving I felt an overwhelming feeling of freedom. You’re in the skies and it’s an inexplicable feeling. I took my first skydive with an instructor when I was 15 and my first solo skydive when I was 16. In the beginning, I was a little nervous, but I was so much more excited than nervous, which pushed me to cover up that fear and take my first jump. Every time you jump it’s different and you experience different things. I would definitely consider myself an adrenaline junkie, and I love all kinds of adventurous activities. I got into skydiving because my dad is a skydiver. I got my A license for solo skydiving by taking a course where I had to do a bunch of different jumps, go through safety procedures, and learn how to pack a parachute. I actually got my license in Spain because you have to be eighteen to get your license in the U.S. It’s kind of complicated because most places outside of the U.S. are registered with the United States Parachute Association, so I have my license with the United States Parachute Association, but I can’t use it in the U.S.

I also got into flying planes because of my dad. He has his private pilot’s license, and I’ve grown up watching videos of him skydiving and flying. I looked up to him and always wanted to fly and skydive as well. I am in the process of getting my private pilot’s license to fly smaller planes, which is very different from the license you get to fly the bigger American Airlines type-planes. It’s definitely a lot of work and it’s hard to balance with school at times. You have to study, take quizzes, and more. I try to practice maneuvers with my instructor as much as I can, I usually go once or twice a week. The process takes time. I am still deciding if I want to pursue a career in this area, but I will definitely always keep flying and skydiving as hobbies of mine. This is a male dominated field, which gives me even more of a reason to keep working towards my licenses and to keep going when I feel like quitting. For anyone who is interested in either getting their pilot’s license or skydiving license, I would tell them that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. These are both life risking activities, so you have to focus and take this seriously.”