SAFA Skysailor Magazine

55 SPRING 2025 | September-October-November SKY SAILOR the world, competed, flown commercial tandems, served as club president, and put huge effort into making the sport more accessible for women – from organising events, to driving funding. Now that she’s decided to ‘hang up the harness’, I wanted to hear about her journey, her reflections, and her most memorable highs and fear- less choices (including the time she taught herself to stall). Q&A with Kirsten Seeto How did you get into the sport originally? I stumbled into paragliding while back- packing in Spain. Some random guys Novice buddies Photos: Kirsten Seeto suggested I try ‘parapente’ – I didn’t even know what it was! We didn’t end up flying that day because it was too windy, but the idea stuck with me. About a year later, while working in the UK, I looked it up and it sounded cool, so I signed up for a course in France, but it wasn’t until I moved back to Australia, joined the Sydney club, and found a group of obsessed pilots that I fell in love with the sport. What was the timeline of your flying? I learned to fly in 2007 in France and came back to Australia the following year. I spent about four years being a novice, going on trips, and soaking up the community. Eventually, I got more serious and into inland/XC flying, and started competing. I also got involved in club leadership – first in Sydney, then in Bright. I even built a tiny house and moved it to Bright just so I could paraglide more! I spent time flying overseas, especially in Europe and the US, which gave me a really broad perspective on the sport. What was your experience with competitions, and what challenges did you notice for women in the sport?