Hang Gliding and Paragliding Volume 44 / Issue 12:December 2014 | 页面 11

LEFT Cory Barnwell, photo by Adam Bain. to Americus, Georgia, for the Flytec Competition Camp. He remarked, “I got to fly with and learn from some of the top pilots in the world. On consecutive days I set a new personal best flying, first, with Zac Majors and then, Mitch Shipley. I had an amazing time at the Americus Cup and ended up coming in fifth. I never would have done that if it hadn’t been for my friends Brian Morris, Adrian Sanchez and Kelly Myrkle, who convinced me I should stay.” In Maryland for the East Coast Championships, I met up with Cory after he had been a flying nomad for a couple of months. I also had a lifestyle choice to make. I had been on the road a lot and was missing my family. When I sought advice about my desire to return home early, Cory listened, but never tried to impose his thoughts on me. He simply told me to “go with what I feel,” a statement that meant a lot to me. Twenty minutes later, I started the 12-hour ride back home to spend some time holding my daughter. Cory is not only a great pilot, but also a kind soul. On his way back and forth across the country, I imagine many people, whether pilots or not, have been touched by Cory’s warm heart. I’m glad to call him a friend. Between the ECC and Big Spring Nationals, Cory traveled up the East Coast and flew in Pennsylvania at Hyner View and Pleasant Gap, and at Ellenville in N.Y. Then he went back to Lookout and, finally, to Arkansas. He said he experienced some of the best conditions in which he had ever flown in Big Spring, where strong thermals and good flying allowed Cory a new personal best of 80 miles XC. He walked away in 2nd place, wanting more West-coast air. Sandia Peak in Albuquerque, Mingus Mountain in Arizona, and Cedar City in Utah are just a couple of spots Cory flew before going to Villa Grove, Colorado, for the Colorado Fly Week. He competed and received second place at Mountain Flyer Championships 2014 with much more air to fly and the ability to do so. Cory stands as a testament to the power of flight. I asked him how had he achieved his extreme weight loss in jawdropping time. He laughed quietly and said honestly, “Well, I looked at the best pilots, and not many were large guys.” Cory not only wants to be a pilot; he seeks to live in a way that we all should, by never doing anything halfway. Cory is fully locked into a bright future with the attitude he brings to the altitude. He leaves every site he visits better than when he found it, which is what we all need to do for our sport and the communities built around them. At the Santa Cruz Flats Race 2014, Cory took first place and, with it, earned the spot as the highest ranked Sport-class flyer. Cory is currently in California flying wherever it’s flyable. Next year, he is open to anything and eager to go where the winds take him. Knowing Cory, the winds will be with him, blowing straight to his goal, perhaps simply because he wills it. Martin Palmaz, Executive Director [email protected] Beth Van Eaton Operations Manager & Advertising [email protected] Eric Mead, System Administrator [email protected] Ashley Miller, Membership Coordinator [email protected] Julie Spiegl