Freefall #00 — The Journey Begins
Tracking the fall, logging the rise.
I’m French.
And I started skydiving for a reason that goes deeper than adrenaline.
When I was younger, my grandfather—Parachutiste militaire—was a powerful figure in my life. I admired him more than I ever said.
He was strong. Grounded. The kind of man you want to impress, not by words, but by who you become.
So at 19, I did a tandem jump.
A taste. Nothing more.
But two years later, I had the guts to start my PAC and go for my Brevet A.
Fifteen jumps in two weeks. August 2024. Heat, nerves, fear.
It was brutal—and fantastic.
I didn’t progress fast.
Some people finished their AFF in 7 jumps. I needed 9.
Because I was scared. Every time.
But that’s why I kept coming back.
I was—and still am—inspired by people like David Goggins.
And this? This was my way of testing myself.
To see if I had the mental strength to show up despite fear.
To choose discomfort. To own it.
At my club, before opening the plane door, we shout:
“Et on n’oublie pas… avec le sourire !”
At first, I thought it was silly.
But with time, I realized—that smile was the shift.
It’s what helped me transmute fear into excitement.
That smile became my weapon. My ritual. My permission to fly.
From August to November 2024, I did 18 jumps.
Each one a small victory. Each one earned.
Then the club closed for the winter. And the silence returned.
But that’s a story for the next entry.
What This Series Is
Freefall isn’t just about skydiving.
It’s about growth. About fear. About reclaiming control through discipline.
Each post will log my jumps, yes—but more than that, it will track what they teach me.
How falling reveals truth. How fear can become clarity.
How effort shapes identity.
And what’s wild is this: skydiving changed me outside the drop zone, too.
I’m calmer in daily life. Less reactive. More present.
That post-jump stillness? I carry it into the week.
Even in climbing, which I also love—
I now full send more than ever. No hesitation.
Zero fear. Just flow.
Because once you’ve smiled at the door of a plane,
everything else feels… manageable.
This is where it begins.
Not with confidence, but with the decision to jump anyway.
Let’s see how far the fall takes us.