Colombia native Daniel Vallejo moved to Kelowna when he learned the Okanagan乌鸦传媒檚 mountains were perfect for him to hone his paragliding skills.
Vallejo started competing in 2016 in Columbia, before representing Canada in Paragliding Accuracy competitions. He is currently ranked second in Canada and 519th in the world.
Recently, after being unable to find sponsors, he started a that he said will help with travel costs as he continues to compete until he can reach his goal at the world championship in Serbia in May. But first, he has to qualify.
Vallejo said he will be gliding in other competitions in order to bring his ranking into the top 500. The $5,000 he is requesting on the fundraiser will go towards travelling expenses.
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It乌鸦传媒檚 not something like hockey or soccer in Canada, it乌鸦传媒檚 more of a club, he said. In Serbia, if he does well, he qualifies for the finals.
乌鸦传媒淪erbia, for me, is like the world champions before the world games,乌鸦传媒� Vallejo said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 just the best of the best.乌鸦传媒�
The 26-year-old has been in Canada since he was 16, but didn乌鸦传媒檛 take up the sport until heartbreak led him to ask his father, a fellow paraglider, to teach him.
After starting lessons in a field, 乌鸦传媒渕y dad, he told me, 乌鸦传媒榶ou乌鸦传媒檙e going to learn with an actual instructor乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮溅 he didn乌鸦传媒檛 want me to go (through) what he went through,乌鸦传媒� he said, adding his father broke his legs learning the sport.
Vallejo comes from a family of paragliders, his father and mother are both judges in Columbia.
乌鸦传媒淢y first competition had over 48 pilots and I ranked 18,乌鸦传媒� he said. His father, Walter, taught him to respect his natural surroundings and to learn from it.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not just going and flying. We don乌鸦传媒檛 belong (in the sky.) If we go there we need to respect it, we need to respect the landscape, we need to respect the property and the people乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 an extreme sport, you need to do it with caution,乌鸦传媒� Vallejio said.
The paraglider competes in accuracy competitions, where he glides from a mountain top, to a marked landing zone. 乌鸦传媒淚magine playing darts, you have to hit in the centre,乌鸦传媒� Vallejo said.
乌鸦传媒淭he feeling is right away you get nervous right? Every time I take off I乌鸦传媒檓 always nervous, but it乌鸦传媒檚 like a good rush. You don乌鸦传媒檛 let that turn into panic. When you乌鸦传媒檙e competing, obviously you乌鸦传媒檙e so focused, I have to talk to myself,乌鸦传媒� he said.
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乌鸦传媒淵ou feel that rush, even though up there it乌鸦传媒檚 colder, you don乌鸦传媒檛 feel cold.
You feel hot, you乌鸦传媒檙e blood is pumping乌鸦传媒� plus the feeling of nothing holding you. Everyone dreams of eventually (flying,) with paragliding, you can achieve that乌鸦传媒� You feel free.乌鸦传媒�
Vallejo would like to see paragliding accuracy competitions in the Olympics.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 awesome to represent Canada already,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淓ven though I乌鸦传媒檓 from Columbia乌鸦传媒� Spanish is my main language, but I think in English, talk in English乌鸦传媒� when I represent Canada in these competitions, I feel like I乌鸦传媒檓 representing my home country.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淵ou feel proud, you feel like you do more, and eventually (hope to) be recognized for everyone.乌鸦传媒�
carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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