ability
totally addicted to BASE
Link ’ s favourite entertainment journalist , Marlena Katene , sought an adventure of a different kind late last year when she became the first person in the world with cerebral palsy to do base-jumping . She shared her story with Link .
I spend most of my life broke because I seek adventure and travel way too much . I often post travel memes to make myself feel better - things like ‘ Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer ’. When I returned from the United States and Canada late last year I was in no position financially to be going on another trip . It was time to settle down and focus finances towards other priorities . Then I got personally invited by professional base-jumper Sean Chuma to jump off a building in Malaysia , and be the first person in the world with cerebral palsy to do so . All I had to do was get myself to Malaysia for the annual KL tower base-jump , which was literally a little under a fortnight later . Travelling for me is addictive and I didn ’ t need to be asked twice . I travel for the sole purpose to get out of my comfort zone , immerse myself in unique cultures and to have an experience that I may not be able to have whilst at home . This ticked all those boxes - so thanks to budget airlines and the affordability of Malaysia as a travel destination - I was off .
I ’ m no stranger to extreme sports . For my 21st birthday I received a skydive voucher which marked the beginning of my skydive addiction . That said , it wasn ’ t something that immediately appealed to me and , to be honest , it took me six months to pluck up the courage to do my first jump . Once this jump occurred , however , I was hooked . You see being in a wheelchair and having Athetosis cerebral palsy , people sometimes have the perception that I ’ m trapped or confined by my disability . I am not at all and by partaking in this sport I truly feel free in all aspects of the word . My body falls into place and I experience a unique mix of both adrenalin and serenity .
Base-jumping is like skydiving , however instead of jumping from a plane you jump from a fixed object . It ’ s actually an acronym for building , aerial , span and earth . After ten skydives I watched a number of Youtube clips and stumbled across this sport , which is an extension of skydiving and a community of people that
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