The Progressive School Vol 02 Issue 04

Wingsuit Flying & BASE Jumping
projects in India with the aim of
sharing my experiences with the
future generations and helping the
ones who wish to pursue their dreams.
I also give talks to motivate junior &
senior classes to overcome challenges
in the face of fear and rejection.
TPS: What kind of challenges have you
faced in developing the right attitude
and skills to achieve these peaks of
excellence?
Lt Col Verma (Retd): The foremost
challenge is to overcome the basic human
mindset that tells us not to take risks and
follow the path already tried and tested.
The first reaction of the ecosystem,
from your parents, teachers, colleagues
& even employers, will push you to
reconsider your decision to pursue
adventure sports. It was particularly more
difficult, when I was a student, but it got
easier with age when I was responsible
for my own decisions.
The other big challenge was access
to knowledge and expertise. Since these
sports are not very common in India, I had
to mainly rely on magazines earlier and
then later Internet helped a great deal.
The challenge to get the right
coaching and training in these high risk
sports. I was lucky to get the same from
the Army instructors and from abroad but
now it is my dream that I can provide this
for the volunteers in India.
TPS: Can you identify any five
important requirements to engage as
an adventure sportsman and how does
one nurture them?
Lt Col Verma (Retd):Pursuing Adventure
Sports safely need a mindset which some
of us are lucky to be born with but if one is
truly motivated, it can also be developed.
In recognition of the National contribution in the field of Adventure Sports, Lt. Col
Verma ( Retd.) awarded Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for Year 2014
(Equivalent to Arjuna Award)
That mindset consists of 5 parts:
• Confidence to stand out among your
peers and be able to chart your own
path unfazed. As a society, safety is
presumed to be linked with following
a treaded path, hence it requires a
special confidence in the person to
break away towards his/her own
journey.
• Perseverance to follow up on one’s
dreams as obstacles will come in
form of physical limitations and
circumstantial support. One has
to display grit in the face of these
obstacles and keep moving ahead.
• Physical fitness is the key for any
sport and more so for adventure sport
where physical risks are heightened
with this aspect. Apart from being
over all fit, most adventure sports
will also require certain muscles to
be more developed that are used in
that sport. For example, in Wingsuit
Flying, one must present a very
minimal area in the direction of flying
which requires the Core Muscles to be
highly developed and agile.
• The ability to focus on your actions
when the body is pumped up with
adrenaline and mind is telling you
to quit. This is essentially the most
important quality, and this must be
developed over a period of time with
practice.
• Hunger to learn more about the sport
and its consequences will make one
safe in the sport.
TPS: What kind of opportunities do
you find in developing Adventure
sports in India and what are the
roadblocks in developing them?
Lt Col Verma (Retd): We are at the
starting block for Adventure sports in
www.progressiveschool.in
JUL-AUG-SEP 2018
THE PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL
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