Progressing in paragliding – meet Charlotte Martin

Charlotte shares her experience of paragliding with us, she now flies a Hook5 and a Kolibri. We will follow her in her adventures as the season progresses!
Hi Charlotte! You had a rather atypical learning of paragliding, can you explain?
Yes, I didn’t do a course in a school because my boyfriend taught me how to fly! I couldn’t afford a course and he was so eager to share his passion with me that he decided to teach me. I found a great opportunity for very little money and he started teaching me! It wasn’t always easy because when you’re in a relationship you have to deal with the emotional side of things, but this experience taught us a lot! Today we have already experienced incredible things thanks to paragliding and I hope it will continue!
What major steps have you taken to become aware of your progress?
It’s not easy to answer this question, but at the moment I’m doing my tandem qualification. I remember at the beginning I dreamed of being able to share it with other people but it seemed so inaccessible… and finally today I’m there so it makes me really happy to say that I may soon be able to share this magic that is paragliding and bring those who dream of it!
Your profile is focused on cross country and Hike & Fly, what are your goals this season and how do you hope to achieve them?
I don’t really have any particular objectives or objectives that I want to achieve at all costs, I try not to put too much pressure on myself with paragliding and to really leave myself a lot of freedom (after all it’s still free flight 🙂 )! I’ve already put too many constraints and objectives on myself with running before and I don’t want that anymore. Of course I have dreams in the corner of my head but if it’s not for this year it doesn’t matter!
I simply hope to share my passion with others, to continue to make new adventures by linking several summits by walking and flying as we do with Nicolas, I would also like to make an adventure like that all alone. If the weather allows it when I’m resting, I’d like to continue to progress in cross-country, to do bigger and bigger tours, to understand everything that’s going on, to continue to discover, to learn, and to see the landscapes from a height!
What role does mental preparation play in your life as a pilot?
As a high stress person, this is an important part, but I still have a lot of work to do on it! At the moment I don’t take the time to do it but usually I do meditation in the evening with Nicolas (a lot of breathing exercises with the Petit Bambou application), I also do yoga. These exercises allow me to manage my stress. In the air when I’m stressed, I talk to myself to try to calm down and manage the situation as best I can and I breathe deeply. I also write down all my flights in a notebook and I read them again from time to time, especially when I feel like I’m regressing, it helps me remember that I’ve made progress even if I don’t feel like it!
And what is your favourite flight site?
Ohlalala this question is way too difficult, aha!!! There are too many beautiful sites and beautiful memories ! But I will say that Annecy at sunset is really incredible, I love St Hilaire because I live there, it’s really magnificent to fly over the Chartreuse, and then to be able to cross to be in Belledonne above the snowy peaks, I love it. Besides, the sunset at the Dent de Crolles is not bad at all either! I also remember a flight at Mont Blanc du Tacul which was really incredibly beautiful…. In short, I still have too many that come to mind … 😉
”Lots of beautiful sunsets for this season then!
Lorenza
Thanks for sharing!