The Star: July 09, 2020

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The Star Thursday July 9 2020 12 OUR PEOPLE LEE BARRACLOUGH From all parts of the globe to Sumner, Lee Barraclough’s business Skydiving Kiwis is set to launch a new attraction later this month or in August, which will allow people to skydive out of a helicopter onto Sumner Beach. Matt Slaughter talked to him about this and the experiences he has had in his 17 years as a skydiver Tell me about your job and how you make a living? I’ve been a skydiving instructor now for 17 years. Basically, at the moment I’ve been living in Sumner. In 2003, I learnt to skydive and then I spent 12 years travelling around the world chasing the sun. I came back to New Zealand in 2011, just after the earthquake and set up Skydiving Kiwis and since then, we’ve been doing commercial skydiving with tandem skydiving and also student training and advanced sports skydiving training as well. Where did the idea of jumping out of a helicopter onto Sumner Beach come from and what will people experience? What I looked at doing THRILLING: Lee Barraclough’s business Skydiving Kiwis is set to start jumping from a helicopter onto Sumner Beach later this month or in August. PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN was, rather than just offering the skydiving experience, I looked at what we could deliver with a package that included skydiving, but gave you so much more. So, that being a luxury helicopter flight, a flight over our amazing city and then opening the door into the most breathtaking views in the country and then flying down into the parachute and landing on one of the best beaches within Christchurch. What does it feel like to skydive? For a first-time skydiver, it can be one of the most scariest things that you ever do, I guess, and I never try to tell anybody otherwise, but then the feeling once you actually leave the plane and step into the wind, or you drop into the wind, is one of the most freeing, exhilarating feelings that you can ever experience in your life. Once you jump out, you’re flying, man. There’s not a word in the dictionary for that feeling. How did your passion for skydiving develop? In 2001, I did my first tandem and then in 2003 I did my first solo and for me, at the time, like, I hadn’t really been an aircraft before, so I was a bit unsure of what all the dials in the aircraft meant and that was the only thing that really kind of confused me a little bit and then as soon as that door opened and that entrance to kind of the world of the bird was before me, then the feeling was inside me that I was actually at home. It was something that I saw on TV when I was about nine-years-old and since that moment I said to my mum that as soon as I get the spare money, mum, what I want to do is go skydiving. Are you ready to take care of your health? winter HeAt PUMP SPeCiALS Heat Pump Special GE35 4kW Heat Pump from only $ If you are suffering with pain or a health condition including digestive issues, joint pain, or chronic fatigue, Marvel Health specialise in hi-tech non-invasive diagnostics and personalised therapy. The Marvel Health scan examines every organ in the body including the lungs, stomach, liver, heart, arteries, prostate and kidneys. It analyses up to 10,000 disease processes, and generates a comprehensive report of the patient’s current state of health. Marvel Health medical doctors are trained in preventive and regenerative medicine and recommend science-based natural therapy to treat the cause rather than the symptoms. TO BOOK OR ENQUIRE: www.marvel.health or call PH: 03 669 5410 Phone now for prompt expert advice and installation GE50 5.8kW Heat Pump from onl FH50 6.0kW Heat Pump from onl INCLUDES INSTALLATION. CONDITIONS 379-3589 Techno 30d Carlyle 196 Word www.snowtemp.co.nz Street, Chris Christchurch Heat Pump Installation/Repairs • Refrigeration Desig
Thursday July 9 2020 The Star OUR PEOPLE 13 boyhood skydiving dream comes true Where are some of the best places in the world that you have skydived? Without being biased, New Zealand has got the best scenery on the planet and then Christchurch and Canterbury, it’s in me just like it is in every Cantabrian. When I was travelling around the world though, I guess, California because it never ever rains, it’s about 40 deg C all the time, so enabling you to be able to go skydiving every single day was something that was pretty awesome there. I’ve skydived on some paradise islands like Mauritius, the Canary Islands, and that is part of the reason why I really like jumping onto the beach and around the ocean because the views are so spectacular. Have you had any close calls skydiving in the past? I guess I’ve probably used my reserve parachute in my high performance jumps probably nine or 10 times and it’s something that we’re trained to do since the day that we begin skydiving. I remember one time at the Australian nationals when I was leading the competition, and then I had a malfunction on my competition jump and then, unfortunately, because of the upper winds, my parachute flew seven miles away. Luckily for me, what happened after that was the winds became too over the limit to carry on the competition, so we went flying in the little Cessna [plane] and we actually managed to find my parachute, but it also meant that the competition went on hold and I was able to actually get all my gear back together and, once the winds died down, then I was able to carry on the competition and I remember coming home with a gold medal, which was pretty nice. Have you had any injuries skydiving? The only injury that I’ve really had was at the Copenhagen World Freestyle Challenge and that was in 2016. We would fly our parachutes down and there was a 25m by 6m inflatable raft and then what we PASSION: Lee Barraclough has been skydiving for 17 years with the sport taking him all over the world. would do is, for about 100m prior to the raft, we would perform freestyle tricks on the water and then try to land on the raft. So, what I did was actually do a trick that had never been done before, and it was my own personal trick, which involved sliding on the water, letting go of my controls and then just popping up a little, grabbing both my feet behind my back and then [getting] back onto the controls and landing on the raft. It wasn’t really a crash landing, it was just more of an awkward landing with the speed I had onto the raft and I ended up tearing my labrum inside of my shoulder and that meant shoulder surgery at the start of 2017 and a three-year recovery, but I did end up coming fifth in the world for that competition. Have you taken any famous or memorable people skydiving? There were a couple of famous people overseas, like, I took one of the most famous Bollywood actresses one time and that was in Mauritius. In New Zealand, I wouldn’t really say famous. Some of the things that stick out though was one time I took a 94-year-old blind lady on Christmas Eve and she came and wore a Santa suit. It was pretty cool. Other than that, I’ve taken the Bachelorette in New Zealand. Who will be the first person to skydive onto Sumner Beach? That’s a bit of a secret. It’s somebody from the local [Sumner] area that has lived there for nearly 50 years and he actually got hold of us and he himself is actually around the 90-year-old-mark and that’s about all I’m allowed to say. •Turn to page 14 MORVEN APARTMENTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION - SELLING NOW ELEGANT RETIREMENT LIVING Contemporary design with all the comforts of home Nestled in the heart of Fendalton, take time to enjoy Holly Lea Village’s idyllic parklike setting with beautiful grounds, established trees and the Waimairi Stream meandering its way through the village grounds. At Holly Lea Village your health and wellbeing is our priority. We provide a supportive lifestyle with a range of services that can be tailored to meet your individual requirements. Construction is underway on the Morven Apartments, eight spacious two bedroom apartments, architecturally designed with your comfort and safety in mind. HOLLY LEA VILLAGE 03 351 7764 hollylea.co.nz Private viewings are now available APARTMENTS | ASSISTED LIVING | REST HOME LEVEL CARE
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The Star: July 09, 2020

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