SAFA Skysailor Magazine

38 SKY SAILOR December-January-February | SUMMER 2025/2026 I didn’t get hurt, but it definitely rocked my confidence. Martin, my mentor at the time, told me to get back into the air right away. After the incident, I decided to do an SIV, but maybe I did it too early because it didn’t go very well. I was on a new (secondhand, but new for me) wing that wasn’t trimmed right, and I just got thrown around and scared myself even more. For months my hands would cramp from stress every time I flew. I felt okay mental- ly, but my body didn’t. I had to learn what was actually dangerous, and what wasn’t. Over time, I figured out that if you want to progress, you do need to push the boundaries a little, but not too far. That’s still how I fly now: I push a bit, then I pull back. But I always set myself goals and challenges. In winter, I and Remy would set ourselves little tasks: top-land three times, do a foot drag, maybe a stall somewhere on the run. Sometimes you don’t manage all of it, and that’s okay, you just have to be nice to yourself. I don’t like taking big risks. I like enjoying myself. So I move forward in small steps: Push, learn, pull back, rebuild, and that rhythm works for me Women in Flight: Irene Weijers Photos: Irene Weijers