GreenieOutdoors

Spiritual Advisor to Extreme Sports Athletes

I must say it was good having Mike with me on the scene for the Caribbean XC Open. It is always good to be with known and trusted friends in foreign lands and especially so during a paragliding competition in which there is a bit more risk involved than in just your usual travels. If I were to have been going it alone down there I don’t think I would have been as competitive as I was, I just wouldn’t haven’t pushed it as hard. It is a very mental sport and every little advantage as far as confidence goes makes a huge difference in a pilot’s performance. You are constantly making decisions about whether to push on into unknown territory or to play it conservatively and just land or take a less advantageous line. Knowing somebody will be on the look out for you gives you the needed confidence to go on and make a big flight verses landing short of the distance you could have gone.  It is also somewhat of a solitary sport, being relatively alone up there in the sky, so it is just good to know there are concerned eyes looking out for you back on terra firma.

Whether it was hiking some of my gear up the hill or helping me layout my glider on launch Mike’s assistance was invaluable. I had incident in which I launched with a small tangle in my lines and had to land back at the take-off site to sort it out and Mike was right there to assist me with the situation. Thanks Mike!

Best Regards,
Peter Schaefer
www.sugarhousebookworks.com

Spiritual Advisor to Extreme Sports Athletes

Most people go their whole lives without ever needing a spiritual advisor and most days do not push a person in ways that would truly require the services of such a person. However, my 2007 Baja 500 solo motorcycle race was one instance where, like a parachute or life raft – when you need one, you really need one – Mike was there. Our journey was long, arduous, and full of unexpected misadventure. Mike kept me together. Whether counciling me on my race mindstate, organizing gear, taking his turn on an all-night drive, or just sharing a marg, Mike kept me together and focused on the goal. For me, the race was a sucess and the whole trip an even greater one. Without Mike’s support and guidance I would not have felt half as prepared mentally, physically, or mechanically. I recommend Mike to anyone planning an adventure that will test them to the limits of their abilities.

Brady Van Matre
Baja 500 2007