Saturday, September 11^th
    I wake up at 6.30 a.m., swallow pills to prevent a cramp and go to put my bag on the top of a pile. We leave for mountains at 7.30 a.m. I don't stray this time, thus I get to the col at 10 p.m. punctually. This is the point the runners will hand a relay batons over to us. I think of our runner, his run begins just now. I suppose it takes him about two hours to come and I try to have breakfast. Unfortunately I can't eat, my stomach shrank to the size of a walnut. The view of the track from this point to the first take-off mades me feel sick. The track leads initially 200 meters down the steep rocky slope and after that 400 meters up the hill which I know from yesterday's training very well.

    Our runner is a drudge and therefore I start my running down the slope shortly before twelwe o'clock. I fell down twice and my fucking gawkinnes really annoys me. But I'm not the only one. My Czech colleague falls five times, even once over his head. He knocks down the Austrian pilot, who outran him a short time ago. I promise not to do this never more but now I compete and have to run. My mind forces me to run but my legs can only walk. Everybody walks after all, there are only differencies in a speed of walking. At least eight Austrian pilots outran me. I wheeze at a taking off area and unpack my paraglider. I'm too weak to spread out the whole canopy and that's why I lay out only twenty cells in a middle of it and hope for the best. Essential verification of leg straps, a forceful wrench and my gorgeous Intox rises above my head. Finally I fly and relax. Not mentally but physically only because I have to fly at speed near the rocks. I follow the paragliders in front of me. Although I fly the highest speed I can, I get ahead of one pilot only. Some pilots sink with a help of big ears, the others fly maximum speed and make spirals above interlanding zone. I choose the second possibility.

    The interlanding zone is situated at the end of a ski slope between two tow but it's large enough. I'm successful and land in a distance of five meters in front of the Red Bull gate. I pack my canopy into a cluster and thanks to the excellent atmosphere made by onlookers I try to move faster. Later I slow down, the onlookers can't see me now. There is 1.5km long track up the hill in fron of me. The Austrians are faster again and outrun me. I change my mind. No 'never more' but I'll be prepared and fit next year and I'll show them! Eventually I can see the ski slope which can be a taking off area. I reached it and now I realize the organizers have a good sense of humour. The last part leads steeply up 30 meters above a marked line. And what's more, an Austrian cameraman chose me as an interesting subject and provokes me to speed up now. There is no doubt he wants to see my vomit. In spite of this I speed up but get a cramp in my left leg unfortunately. The cameraman goes away with the satisfaction.

    I see a spreaded canopy and prepare my one above it. I lay out several cells and stretch the lines. Only now I notice that the pilot under me hasn't fasten his harness yet. I can't manage to tell him a word and suddenly another pilot on my right hand side lifts his canopy asymetrically and tangles me up. The organizers help me untwist and simultaneously warn the pilot under to enable my take-off. I'm not very surprise of his unwillingness, he only ruffles one ear of canopy and waits. My canopy with a width of the span about 12 meters is spreaded at five meters only. The Austrian pilot seems to stay far too near but I compete now and hope him to sidestep. Sadly he didn't.

    The organizers untwist the Austrian pilot and spread my canopy. What a servis! I find myself in the air after several seconds and step on it. I fly over the pitch far too high and therefore I loose the hight in a slow spiral. I want to land with a calm state of mind not to make any mistake. However conditions are perfect and no turbulence comes. I land ten meters beside the corridor, pack quickly my canopy, run fast and hand over. Suddenly I feel a great sense of elation. The relay race goes on and l'm safe. What can I wish more? A drink is given to me by girls near the gate and eventually I begin to relax.


Important data:
University of West Bohemia team
         runner - Ondra Vodrazka, paragliding - Mira Stodola
         kayak - Radek Zeman, mount-bike - Honza Beranek
Number - 41
Category - Amateur (91 teams together)
Position - 44^th team
              - me 74^th (I'll become better next time)