PARAGLIDING IN THE PHILIPPINES

Carmona, Cavite

The seed of my dream to be a paragliding pilot was planted in 2015. I remember a certain high after flying tandem in Switzerland and I posted this on Facebook, with no clue of how it would happen.

“I finally found my calling. When I grow up, I wanna be a paragliding pilot!” 

It was a dream, a seemingly impossible one.

After resigning from the Middle East (UAE), a short stint in Middle Earth (New Zealand) and an eye-opening mental health diagnosis, I came back to the Philippines not knowing what to do with my life.

On a brink of suicide, God unearthed the dream he planted in me 3 years ago.

I was led to Paragliding Philippines where I met people, who helped me jumpstart my beginner course. They even invited me to squat in their showroom for the duration of my training.

Pyro, my South Korean instructor, happily welcomed me, not knowing he just acquired a disastrous student. Haha. The Carmona flying team took care of me like an old-time friend.

On my first night, surrounded by gliders, motors and baby planes, I slept asking myself, “Do I still have the strength to do this?”

My first day started in the fly site on a hot and humid morning.

Before the lessons even started, I already felt dehydrated from the heat.

Learning the basics – parts of the glider and the harness…

Forward launch…

Meeting my fellow Filipino pilot-students…

At the end of the day I was exhausted, not from the lessons, but from the intense heat. I have lived away from the tropics for so long, my body was in a terrible shock.

Thanks to Pyro who patiently endured my countless running away from the sun, and my never-ending water breaks and ice baths.

In just a day, I was inducted into the world of wings, lines and risers. It’s still a long journey ahead.

I feel old and tired learning a new skill. But if this is what it takes to fight death and wake up for another day, then I’ll keep breathing.

Besides, I found a new sleeping spot, windy enough to keep me alive. 🙂

“If you want to die today, choose to die tomorrow instead. And when you want to die tomorrow, choose to die the next day. Keep on choosing to die the next day, until a day comes when you don’t want to die anymore.” – Oh Ri-Jin (Kill Me, Heal Me 2015)

#FatLegsFly #DepressionKills #TheDepressedChristian #EmbracingBipolarDisorder #BeautifullyBipolar #OvercomingSuicide #MentalHealthAwareness