From flips in a powered paraglider to jumping from a plane, these wheelchair users bravely take to the sky to participate in some extreme sports
For many, a spinal cord injury is devasting, mostly because of the perception that they will miss out on so much whether it is because of an inaccessible environment, discrimination or their disability. However, the reality is very different.
Many quadriplegics and paraplegics go on to live very happy and exciting lives with a career, romance and even children.
Even those who dream of adventure need not be discouraged. Two brave wheelchair users proved this by trying their hand at some extreme sports.
Taking to the sky
It started when a friend, Jaco Swanepoel, invited Louis Nieuwoudt to join him on a flight in a two-seater powered paraglider. Louis finally agreed. Equipped with his courage and a mask, Louis was strapped into the vehicle.
“The backseat was a little tight to get into, but once I was strapped in, and the pilot was in his seat, I felt very safe and secure,” Louis recalls.
Even before taking flight, he could feel the adrenaline pump in anticipation of the unknown. Louis says: “Hearing the motor start, seeing the chute fill up with air and moving into position, I thought, ‘right, here we go.’
“As soon as you are up in the air, it is very relaxing and you have a full view, in all directions, of what is going on around you,” he adds.
While it is strange to imagine the mixture of calm and excitement as enjoyable, it is this exact, inexplicable feeling that Louis believes everyone shouldexperience.
“I would definitely recommend this to others, disabled or able-bodied,” he says. The experience was even more enjoyable with the very welcoming community of pilots in attendance to assist.
While the experience was surely unforgettable, Louis is hardly done with adrenaline-fuelled adventure. Next, he would like to try his hand at skydiving – following the path of Jodie Kroone, another adventurist.
Diving into the clouds
Similar to Louis, Jodie was introduced to an extreme sport on the suggestion of a friend. She had her doubts about skydiving. “Is it even a possibility if you use a wheelchair? How will it work? What about landing,” Jodie thought at the time, but she also lived by the motto of trying anything once. The next week her jump was booked with Skydiving Durban in Eston, KwaZulu-Natal.
“I was slightly panicked and unsure how this was going to play out, but I reminded myself that it was a huge opportunity, and I would regret not doing it,” Jodie recalls. After an introduction video and a quick wardrobe change, she was ready for her tandem jump – where you are strapped to a professional skydiver.
Jodie was not the first nor the last person to jump with Skydiving Durban. Wesley Quinn Wagner and the team at Skydiving Durban created a programmed dubbed “Free fly for Ferdi” to promote adventure among people with disabilities.
The initiative started after Wesley’s dear friend, Ferdi, passed away. He was passionate about adventure and an avid skydiver. Through the programme, Wesley hopes to keep Ferdi’s zest for life alive by giving others the experience. This message gave Jodie so much more courage.
About 25 minutes later, the plane had climbed 9 000 feet (three kilometres). The team was ready to jump. Experienced skydiver Vernon Kloppers attached himself to Jodie using extra strapping to keep her legs to her chest. Together, they edged towards the door.
“Before I could blink, we were free falling,” Jodie remembers. “The free fall lasted about eight seconds before the parachute opened. This was my favourite part, going from wind and speed to complete silence and floating. I couldn’t believe I was soaring through the sky. It was pure freedom.”
The landing, rightfully, worried Jodie. Fortunately, it was very smooth. She notes: “Vernon held me as he glided and landed effortlessly. Laughing with excitement and pure adrenalin, I was in disbelief of what I just did. My family came running to greet me and was speechless!”
She thanks the team and everyone involved for helping her tick off a bucket list item, and encourages others to also try their hand at skydiving.
While not everyone would dream up these extreme experiences, it is much easier to imagine a more independent, happier and fulfilled life even after a spinal cord injury.
