I want to briefly run through the series of events that led to my hip replacement surgery at the age of 39.
I was born in 1985, and my passion for flight began early. In first grade, during a school field trip, I watched a video at the iMax theater at Discovery Place in Charlotte, NC. The film featured an ultralight airplane soaring through what looked like the Grand Canyon. From that moment, I knew I wanted to fly.
My First Paramotor Flight: 2012
Fast forward to 2012. After watching countless YouTube videos on powered paragliding, I realized my childhood dream of flight could actually become a reality. In August of that year, I sold my motorcycle and bought a used paramotor with wheels (powered paraglider) from Craigslist. I had five hours of training and took two flights before bringing it home. What did that first flight feel like? It was like being 25 years old and riding a roller coaster for the first time in my life. I had no idea what to expect! Quick PSA: If you’re thinking about getting into this sport, I highly recommend taking a structured training course!
Progressing to Footlaunch in 2014
Flying quickly became second nature to me—I was hooked. Two years later, I upgraded to a foot-launch unit, which meant I could now run into the air instead of using wheels. I fell even more in love with the experience. Every free moment was spent practicing kiting, launching, and landing. The flying part? Easy. It was the takeoffs and landings that were critical—and where you were most likely to get hurt if you didn’t do them properly.
The Mid-Air Paramotor Collision: August 2015
Over two hundred hours of flying, a year later in August of 2015, I was invited to fly at a paramotor school with an instructor and his student. The plan was for all three of us to take off together and explore the morning clouds. I was the second pilot to launch. Forty seconds after takeoff, disaster struck. Another pilot flew into my wing, sending me into a spiral. In just four seconds, I fell approximately 200 feet and slammed into the ground. The impact was so forceful that I bounced, as you can see in the third-person video of the incident.
That crash is the reason my hip deteriorated. There is so much more to the story. I plan to update this page soon with more details!
My hip replacement was on 7/24/24 at Duke University Hospital. After five weeks, there was a second hip revision surgery due to a MRSA infection on 8/30/24. This blog begins on 9/12/24.