Toma Coconea

It all started in 1991. My lifelong passion for nature and, above all, for the mountain encouraged me to join a sporting club 18 years ago. Destiny proved merciful and offered me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which, fortunately, I did not hesitate to seize : two keen paragliders donated two wings to me. One flight, one single try, was enough to inoculate the drug of flying: and I knew that, from this moment on, I would never rest my feet on the ground without dreaming of flying again.And again. Endlessly. Undoubtedly, the man I owe so much for all the accomplishments I have been able to fulfill is Mr Liviu Iovan ( or Nea Liviu as everybody calls him) , the then president of the flying club.And its founder ,as well. But , as expected, not everything went so smoothly right from the very beginning. I was afraid the medical problems encountered in the beginning would prevent me from building a career in paragliding but the passion was just so overwhelming that it finally helped me overcome any misfortune and difficulty and pushed me beyond the limits of human achievement. As years went by, I began attending national competitions, some of which I managed to win. Accordingly, I was the paragliding national champion for a couple of years. Flying ceased to be just a hobby , it had turned slowly, but firmly, into a way of living. I knew I had to improve my skills and what other way could be better than to take part in international competitions? To feel the adrenaline rushing through your blood as you challenge the greatest champions of paragliding. Only by doing this can one become a great champion oneself. I made my first appearance on the international scene four years ago and I feel bound to express my gratitude to Red Bull Romania whose financial support proved of utmost importance in my endeavors to reach the top spot. I have taken part in many competitions worldwide but, among them all, one stands out in the crowd: Red Bull X-Alps is by far the competition I put my soul in most. It has been the toughest challenge of my life , both physically and mentally. There have been 3 editions so far ( 2003,2005 and 2007) and I attended them all. This year I have been invited again. My results speak for themselves: if in 2003 I only managed a disappointing 9th place, things got better two years later when I finished 8th and ,finally, the peak of my career so far was reached in 2007 when I came 2nd . As can be so easily noticed, with each edition I got ever bett