Have No Fear, Experience The View From Up Here

adik^manis

Sumber: Malaysian Digest

Are you dare enough to glide? Pic: mD

IT is known as a fact that extreme sports are not everyone’s cup of tea as not everyone is daring enough to do it.

Seen as a high level of physical risks, most adventure sports involve speed, height and a high level of physical energy such as paragliding, rock climbing, skydiving, scuba diving to name a few.

Of course, some people might have some fears or phobia, commonly towards heights and flying.

An outdoor lover, Hanim relates to Malaysian Digest of her experience on of going to paragliding recently.

The first-timer said that it was one of her desire to do paragliding and was very excited to do it.

“I was very nervous but excited at the same time. I couldn’t help but to asked the instructor a lot of questions.

Men are more scared of heights? Pic: spring.me

“To my surprised, I was told by him that most customers that came are majorly female! Captain said that most male would be scared to fly due to the heights and much prefer to learn theoretical part more rather than flying,” shared Hanim.

During the briefing, Hanim have seen a couple of other passengers’ video and was amused to see that most of the guys’ videos sees a lot of screaming rather than the girls’ experience videos.  

“It’s a must try for those who dreamt to experience something that is way beyond your expectations!” smiled Hanim.

Hanim’s experience on paragliding does intriguers my mind to write about this unique fears and sport activity, but I was a little hesitant to try it myself since I can be consider as an acrophobic too.

The fear within

It seems like men are more fondly to have fears of heights and flying but does that mean that women are not?

According to International Psychology Centre’s (IPC) Principle Consultant Psychologist, Dr. Weng Lok Chan, acrophobia or the fear of heights is when someone has an extreme or irrational fear of heights.

It becomes abnormal when people refuse to take elevator, going near balcony or even do extreme sports.

For pteromerhanophobia (the fear of flying), it is more of an anxiety disorder and may be an indirect combination of other phobias such as claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces) or acrophobia itself.

“There could be a correlation between acrophobia or pteromerhanophobia, but it is not unmanageable.

“People who have a fear of flying are not necessarily to have a fear of heights. Some people might have both, but it is not correlated,” said Dr Weng.

Men have more adaptability to deal with fear from an evolutionary perspectives while females tends to have fear of heights more in general population.

However there is no 100% saying which gender has the higher tendency in those phobias, as it differs between different people.

“As the society changes to egalitarianism (equality), women are more demanding and also wants to compete with men particularly in sports, finance and others as they previously depend on men for living,” he said.

Dr. Weng further explained that men are more analogical, as they prefer to look at the mechanical part more, whereby women are more of a right brain; they are into having experience and emotions.

Men fondly likes to analyze thing compare to women but some women would as it depends on an individual’s differences in their approach of bravery.

Making your dream to fly

In recent years, paragliding sport is flying its way in Malaysia, as this unique air sport if getting more recognition compared to the heydays.

An outgoing and adventurous team of husband-and-wife, Captain (Rtd) Mohd Ikhwan Azillah and Orkid Jamilah Awang are making everyone’s dream to fly through the skies at their Wing Over Paragliding Centre in Selangor.

Located in Jugra hill, Banting, the centre gives you a one-of-a-kind experience of flying through paragliding.

Orkid Jamilah Awang. Pic: mD

“I’ve always been into tough activities ever since my army days and after I tried paragliding, I felt like a young boy who just found his lost toy. That’s how I would describe this unique sport,” said Ikhwan.

“It’s not just about having a healthy lifestyle. We are also learning to deal with the nature too such as learning about the wind, the weather and other parts of nature while keeping us focus when flying,” said the ex-army before he left in 2005.

Described as a lightweight and free-flying form of recreational sport, it uses a fabric wing of parachute that enables people to fly into the air. It all depends 100% to the wind and commonly takes off from hillside or mountain.

“I tried all kind of outdoor activities such as scuba diving, mountain climbing to name a few and only air sports that I have not try yet,” said Orkid, who also a travel enthusiast like her husband.

Upon travelling to UK in 2000, Orkid learnt a lot more about the sport and sees it as a potential development in Malaysia.

“Many people have different perception towards paragliding such as the one which jump from a building or from a jet and even being dragged from a boat kind of thing!” laughed Orkid.

Ikhwan was sponsored by The Armed Forces Ex-Servicemen Affairs Corporation (Perhebat) to do the paragliding course in New Zealand to obtain his international certification as paragliding instructor by the New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association in New Zealand (NZHGPA).

"We are also learning to deal with the nature too such as learning about the wind, the weather and other parts of nature while keeping us focus when flying," said Captain (Rtd) Ikhwan. Pic: mD

According to Orkid, to be a certified instructor, they need to undergo various tests such as co-assisting the instructor, attending seminars and training, take part in cross-country competitions, as well as sitting for examinations.

After various hill hopping, the couple decided to settled their business full-time in Jugra Hill for its suitable height, easy access and spacious landing area downhill.

Since being operated in 2012, the couple said that about 70% of their clients are locals while the remaining 30% are foreigners.

Orkid said that the youngest paraglider could be about five years old as they have a suitable harness for small or lighter people. Most female clients who tend to be fearful more than the men would still go on and try to fly compare to most male clients.

“Believe it or not, there’s one occasion where a male customer who was kind of being forced to fly by his wife on his birthday because the wife had already done paragliding,”

“His wife wants him to try it no matter what and the husband who is scared of heights, freaked out and screamed all the way from the hill to when I landed him on the ground!” chuckles Captain Ikhwan.

“Women seem to be more enthusiastic based on our experience. It’s not that men are much more scared to glide, they prefer to take time a bit before finally do paragliding,” shared Orkid.

Speaking from experience

First-timer, Rozihan Abdul Rashid, 36, she considers herself as an acrophobia but sees paragliding as a way to break her fear of heights.

“It was nervous at first as I was shaking so badly, but since the captain has been really helpful, I calmed down and fly without no hesitation!” smiled Rozihan.

Sports enthusiast, Melyani Fitria Indria, 29, shares her experience with mD.................................................

http://www.malaysiandigest.com/f ... w-from-up-here.html

kordi

one day i hope..

tengah plan dengan geng2 after raya