Age: 45
Position: Founder, in current form
Years Skydiving: 20
Number of jumps: 7200
First jump: 1995
Why I started Skyding:
Simon my mate told me its the best thing I’ll ever do, so I did a tandem, then AFF Stage 1 & 2 before leaving for America. Came back in 1997 to complete AFF after returning from travelling with no money.
Most memorable jump:
5000th jump in 2009 (?). It was my daughter Charlotte’s first tandem. I had taken my son, Xavia 3 days before but on this jump I took Char and my mate, Brett Newman, took Xavia. We did a linked 2-way with head down stingers and Beny in stand hanging off chest straps. It was amazing and scary as!!!
History:
Left school at 18. Moved to Sydney and worked in a bank, believe it or not for 6 – 8 months. Felt like a rat in a cage. Moved back to Coffs and worked in a concrete company – family owned business. Become manager at 20 years of age. Also worked in family owned haulage & site shed hire business.
Won an Art Union home at 21 years old. Lost it by 1997 along with the collapse of the family empire fortune in the GFC of the 90’s.
Went bush for some years. Learnt to race motorcycles, played football for Sawtell in Group 2 until 2001. Was player of the group in 2000. Broke leg in 2001 swooping.
Went to MKP (Mankind Project) and became entrenched in Personal Development. Loved it.
I bought the Coffs Skydivers drop zone on 15th September 2005 and created what we have today through hard work & passion along with the support of one of my best mates, Pom; not to forget Throbba + Max (the formative years). Now I couldn’t have the life I have without my sister from another mother, Kerry. Dream to run fear & freedom & unlimited possibilities workshops from 2015.
My love for experiences, deep connected spirit work & skydiving are only trumped by my beautiful children.
What would you like to see in the future of skydiving:
More of the same. Beautiful people connecting. laughing, sharing & jumping. I pray the tandem factories and tunnels don’t destroy our sport. I’d like to see more AFF and the sport scene explode. I’d like to see many people skydive tandem & AFF to realise their potential as humans.
