‘It’s all about the lines’: On board with Kinga Masztalerz

It’s ten years since a young physicist doing a PhD on solid-state spectroscopy discovered what she could do with a paraglider. Kinga Masztalerz threw herself into the sport and never looked back. It’s been a wild ride ever since – with vol-biv trips in New Zealand, India, the Alps and Andes as well as two outings in the Red Bull X-Alps, which nearly broke her, but made her as a pilot.

Along the way this Polish-born New Zealander has picked up distance records, set up a vol-bivouac clinic, founded a hike-and-fly race in Wanaka, and flown thousands of kilometres along beautiful mountain lines around the world. She’s also picked up a legion of fans for her heartfelt posts online sharing the highs and lows of her vol-biv adventures.

I tracked her down to Feltre, northern Italy, where she has just bought a house and she shared her thoughts on life, adventure and why the magic happens when you’re close to the edge – but not too close, as...