It was for the first time when Competition on Paragliding in Bolgaria was visited by the titled bodybuilder Olga Tihonova. Olga became not only an honoured guest of the competition, but also the first person from global sport who risked to learn flying with paraglide. She mastered new kind of sport in the centre of extreme kinds of sport "Shambhala" and liked it in fact.
- Olga, describe, please, your feelings after your free flight, your impressions from the first flight in tandem?
- I can?t express my impressions shortly. Unusual sensations of euphoria and easiness. It seems that a person can be a bird.
It is difficult to explain what I felt. I have not flied earlier, only in dreams. Probably, I felt delight, it took away my breath ? What else usually is said in such cases? I wasn?t scared at all, was it surprising? I flied with instructor and I completely trusted him, I felt quietly enough and even confidently - as much as it?s possible, as if you got used to walk on the ground instead of flying above it. I?m an athlete, and know the price of the won titles ? World and Europe titles, title of the champion in your Motherland. I have no doubt in professionalism of such sportsmen. It is possible to fly into the sky, into the space, and on the World?s end with such instructor (she means Nikolay Shorohov).
- What is your attitude to the paragliding community after visiting the competition? After week living among competing pilots?
- Paragliders were very nice to me. They are friendly to each other either. They are pretty extraordinary and interesting people.
- What are differences between bodybuilders and paragliders in psychology, way of life, attitude to the body? ìÞve they anything in common?
- All people are different, it depends on their interests. The way of life is absoletely different! Body builders live in more rigid mode, especially during trainings for competitions. Most of them are children of comfort and cosiness. The attitude to the body is very careful as the body for bodybuilder is a result of persistent trainings for many years and the most important subject at competitions. I think, that pilots are careful to their body either.
- Olga, would it be interesting for you to take up paragliding as hobby - just to fly safely alone and to make "air walks " regularly?
- Yes, if I had free time it would be interesting to learn flies with paraglide. I already adore to fly.
- A flight by the winch or a jump from the mountain - what do you prefer?
- The flight from mountain, certainly, is more fascinating phenomenon and is much more interesting.
- What do you prefer: to make long routes with paraplane, acrobatic exercises in the air or quiet flights for pleasure?
- I need to learn flying with paraglide properly before answering this question.
- Whether you jumped with parachute or not? If you jumped what are yours feelings compared with paragliding? ( If you haven?t jumped with parachute yet, will you try?)
- I have not jumped with parachute yet. I do not know if I would do it. I don?t want to give early promises.
- What is your attitude to the competition you visited in August (Pre-PWC 2004) - to the level of organization, atmosphere and participants?
- In my opinion, the level of organization was high. I felt at home. It is pleasant when you are surrounded by friendly, interesting and beautiful people.
- Your impressions from Bulgaria and bulgarian cuisine?
- Bulgaria reminded me our Black Sea coast. Sopot is very beautiful, of course. And the Bulgarian kitchen impressed me in fact ? it is very tasty! It is too tasty conßerning to a sport diet.
- In your opinion, whether you need a physically trained body for flying with paraplane or experience and skill are the most important?
- I think, you should be a sport-fitted person, but, certainly, experience and skill are very important either.
- What is your opinion about extreme kinds of sport?
- Rather positive. Our life is too difficult, that?s why it is necessary for people, even sometimes to forget about problems and city vanity, to relax. And it makes people more perfect and, I think, more kindly.
- Have you ever been fond of extreme kinds of sport?
- No? I haven?t.
- We can say, that you became an "opener" of paragliding in russian sport elite. Whether you will recommend your friends and colleagues to try a flight in tandem with paraglide after all your flights with different instructors?
- Necessarily! Already...
The text and interview þÒÞÊÕÌ äÞÏÝÕ
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russian
bulgarian
