Age: 30
Nationality: Pakistani
Occupation: IT Manager
“Nothing brings me more joy than hurling down towards the earth at a speed of 250kph.When I finally land, I am more alive than any other moment and every jump gives me a special sense of accomplishment,” reckons Zeeshan Mirza. The avid skydiver and wingsuit flyer envisages taking it forward by introducing the sport in his home country, Pakistan. Below, we find out more about what drives Zeeshan, and the other activities that he enjoys when he’s not surfing the skies.
Which adventure sports are you into?
I’m really passionate about motocross, snowboarding, mountaineering (I’ve climbed both Everest and Annapurna Base Camp and summited Kala Patthar and Gokyo Peak in Nepal). I am into wingsuit flying (USPA D license holder with 800 plus skydives).
Not many people know about wingsuit flying…Please tell us more about it.
A wingsuit is a special kind of jumpsuit whose design has been inspired by the squirrel. A wingsuit adds surface area to the body and hence allows significant increase in lift; meaning you a get a lot more flying time (90 seconds or more) compared to a normal skydiving freefall, which is roughly just 50 seconds.
Amongst a wide range of adventure sports, what made you passionate about skydiving and wingsuit skydiving? For how long have you been doing these?
I did my first skydive in 2013, and since then have been actively involved in the sport. From the beginning, my goal was to become a wingsuit pilot. So I started skydiving only to get into wingsuit flying, which is a prerequisite. A few years back, when this sport was still evolving, I enjoyed watching videos of wingsuit pilots from around the world. That’s what inspired me to try this out for myself. It was thrilling to watch world champions with sponsors like Red Bull doing amazing stunts in the mountains and valleys of Europe and America.
What is the experience like?
People often relate skydiving with the ‘thrill’ and ‘adrenaline rush’ of jumping out of a perfectly good plane and then being able to fly in the sky. For me, skydiving is much more than any thrill or adrenaline rush. It is therapeutic, for this is the only moment when I am truly disconnected from everything else and just focused on the present. The whole experience is just so fulfilling, especially when it goes as planned.
How has skydiving and wingsuit diving helped you in life?
They have taught me to focus and believe in myself. I have learnt to keep pushing my limits and make the most out of every moment that life offers.
Any memorable moment related to skydiving that you would love to share?
My first wingsuit jump! It was like a dream come true. Finally I had taken the first step to accomplish my dream of BASE wingsuit flying.
Also, it goes without saying that I have many memorable moments of wingsuit jumps with world-class athletes at Skydive Dubai, which is my home drop zone.Their coaching and skills always leave me more passionate about achieving my goals as a wingsuit pilot. Indeed, Skydive Dubai is one of the top notch drop zones in the world, where utmost importance is given to safety and training standards.
Any advice for newcomers or for people contemplating these sports?
I would like my fellow skydivers who are new to this sport to know that their skills and comfort level will keep improving and obviously, the fear factor reduces with every subsequent skydive. So just hang in there during the initial few stages.
What’s next?
Currently, we don’t have the facility to practice skydiving in my home country, Pakistan. I am now highly motivated to introduce skydiving there. Hopefully, one day we will be able to skydive there and I would love to represent Pakistan at national and international level. I’d also love to give BASE jumping a try!
How would you like to play an active role in it?
It would be a matter of pride for me to be able to play facilitate the setup of skydiving facility in Pakistan. I have teamed up with a few Pakistani skydivers to create awareness and promote skydiving out there. As of now we are trying to promote the sport through social media and for this purpose, I have been involved in few projects, such as making skydives with our national flag.
Skydiving is obviously a dangerous sport. What are your thoughts on this?
We all indulge in everyday activities that could be as dangerous (if not more) than skydiving. For example, a lot of research has been done to compare the risks of skydiving versus driving a car. Statistics reveal that the fatality rate for skydiving is 0.006 per 1,000 jumps, according to the U.S. Parachute Association.
What’s your motto in life?
Just believe in yourself and then watch how the ‘impossible’ transforms into ‘possible’!
Interview by: Bandana Jain
Photos by: Juan Mayer
