Adrenaline
Looking for a hobby with a bit more dash? Symes Report met two Westpac staff members whose pastimes are a little out of the ordinary.
Melissa Concessio – bungy jumper
The fear and the excitement of bungy jumping is exhilarating.
Each time I jump I think that this is going be a piece of cake for me. However, once I look over the edge, my nerves twist, my legs go weak and I feel my heart beating faster. I also always wonder if the bungy cord is secure enough just before I jump. I've just always loved the idea of jumping off buildings – feels like a way for me to express my freedom.
The scariest and most fun jump I've done is off the Auckland tower, New Zealand.
I remember the day I did the jump. I faced the edge of the building and smiled nervously as I saw faint cars in the distance. I then jumped on the count of three. My loud girly scream took over the entire free fall.
When I got to the bottom, they offered me a free jump. I think they were highly amused by my scream. My next jump is going to be off the Macau tower. If my scream can get any louder, it will. This is highest commercial bungy jump in the world and I can't wait to do it.
Why do you do bungy jumping? What do you get out of it?
I love the adrenaline rush of bungy Jumping – ultimate euphoria. You only live once and I like to experience as much as I can. I am on the extreme spectrum of high energy and I keep my energy high by doing what other people may refer to as a little crazy. People seem to love some of the stories and I hope that it inspires them to take action on whatever they want to do in life. This is just my way of taking action and adding some excitement to my life.
Does it require a lot of mental toughness? And does that carry over into your everyday life?
Everything you do affects everything else. I can summarise it in two words - Life experience. Whenever you get deep enough into understanding anything, it turns into a philosophy. Mental Toughness is one such example. I remember when I was doing a jump and the instructor, Jim put harnesses on me. When Jim and his team were doing checks to make sure the harnesses were safe, I decided to check it myself. I quickly found out that touching the harness is tampering with the process. My life was literally in Jim’s hands. Not being in control made me sick to my stomach. I still jumped that day. It was a calculated risk worth taking. Fear is another word for excitement. It's the same thing in everyday life. Speaking up at work in a room full of highly intelligent and experienced people can be daunting. You can’t control everything and it will take you out of your comfort zone. If you feel fear just call it excitement and do it anyway. The more you do it, the better you will become at handling it.
What advice would you give someone who wanted to try something new?
I was mentally lost a few years ago, stuck in a dead end job and not knowing what to do next.
I've come to the realisation that doing and experiencing is more valuable than thinking.
If you take one thing out of this, please take action as your next step. A small step can have big outcomes. My sister Jean now successfully runs a tea business called Chai Shai and I used to tell her the exact same thing. Since taking action on her dreams, she has excelled in getting Australians to try and buy her delicious Chai Tea.
You don't even have to know exactly where you want to go, just go out and try things. Speak up at that next meeting. Get involved. Take that small step.
– Melissa Concessio is a technical business analyst at Westpac
Melissa Concessio – bungy jumper.
Andrea Cronshaw photography
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