"Cross country paragliding has me totally hooked.  It offers me an escape from my day to day life by forcing me to be totally consumed with the here and now.  In XC paragliding I must spend a lot of time in a flow state, managing my glider, coring a thermal, or feeling out a lift line, reacting without thinking.  I also must spend a lot of brain power on analytical decisions, like if I'm high enough to go for a deep line, or if Im going to be in the right place for the end of the day.  I find that improving at the sport is intensely interesting, fascinatingly challenging, and personally rewarding.  Being a dedicated pilot has allowed me to travel and live in stunning places surrounded by wonderful friends with captivating challenges.  The X Alps is, for me, the defining competition and challenge in our sport.  Take the lightest, slowest aircraft and pilot or walk it though some of the most iconic landscapes on this earth, with the whole world watching live.  It is SO COOL. 

I got into paragliding because I heard about big cross country flights in rugged, remote landscapes and I wanted some of that.  When I got my first paragliding magazine it had an article about the US teams, Honza and Scales, training and preparation for the X Alps.  I was enthralled and I wanted in.  For the last ten years Ive been pushing my fitness, and flying with the goal of excelling at the X Alps in the front of my mind.

When I didn't get in the initial selection for this years race I did some long and hard thinking and decided that the journey has been more then worth the destination.  I made the choice to continue my training, and dedication to my passion no matter what the destination.  The goal of being in the X Alps has taught me about healthy living.  It's forced me to learn about myself and gain control of my fears, and ego. I thrive when flying a paraglider all day long in big, deep, remote mountains.  After I heard about my wildcard I realized that the universe wanted me to release myself from defining who I am though the goal I wanted to achieve, and allow myself to be a fit, positive, healthy and motivated individual for its own reward.  So here I am, bring it on!