I am Michael, 35 years old and originally from the suburbs of Stuttgart. Until I finished my studies it did not look like I would become an outdoor enthusiast who wants to spend every minute in the mountains - hiking, flying, running or cycling. I was rather passionate about music (from listening to every new indie record, recording my own songs and going regularly to live gigs at clubs or festivals), art, literature and parties. All this actually pointed to a more city centric life.

 

Well … this changed when I came to Zurich in 2013 after my studies for my first job: mountains close by which made beautiful hikes accessible, paragliders in the sunset over Uetliberg and in general, nature blending seamlessly with the city borders and living in a nation that knows the beauty of its natural surroundings. It was the trigger point for me to spend more and more time in nature. And it was then when I decided to start paragliding, having done my first trial courses with the local paragliding school in 2014. 

 

However, it took me until 2017 to finally receive my paragliding license. Delayed due to living a nomad life which started during my studies, utilizing every chance to live in other cultures and experiencing the world. Returning to Switzerland in 2019 my paragliding passion reached another level. Flying equipment that packs in a rucksack with no engine but nonetheless being able to fly distances, this is pure freedom. The complexity of the sport is still fascinating to me, from route planning to meteo forecast and decision-making in the air. It never gets boring.

 

Now I am looking forward to the biggest paragliding adventure of my life so far. Lucky to be allowed to accompany my best flying buddies through the Alps while raising awareness for what should be the most natural of all rights: Equality and thereby the fight against discrimination. Having lived abroad for a long time, I have experienced the diversity & beauty, but also the injustice & inequality in the world. There is still much to do, and if we can contribute with this project to make the world a little bit better, our target is reached.