ALL ABILITIES EVENTS WITH PETER PELLEGRINI

EACH YEAR, OUR ALL ABILITIES EVENTS GET BETTER AND BETTER!
My name is Peter Pellegrini. I am an above-the-knee amputee, and I am one of the growing number of All Abilities Ambassadors at iFLY Indoor Skydiving. I've been flying for about 6 years and have been a Surfers Paradise All Abilities ambassador for about 4 years.

I would have to say this has been the highest attendance we have had since iFLY Indoor Skydiving began supporting All Abilities. It was impressive to see the large number of people living with disability that attended this year, including amputees, paraplegics, those with cerebral palsy, autism, and many other complex conditions. It still amazes me how accessible iFLY really is! I was absolutely humbled to find out that some of our customers could not attend the local show rides during the show holidays, though they could come in and experience the gift of flight.

This year, TADQ (Technology for Ageing and Disability Queensland) came on board as a sponsor, which has been a fantastic help in reaching out to more people with disabilities and showing them this awesome sport! Over the course of the year, we had over 100 people attend our events, which has nearly doubled in comparison to previous years. We could not have been as productive without TADQ’s support. Thank you TADQ!

The last 12 months have brought some very familiar faces back to our All Ability nights, along with some new regulars! Some notable mentions include the Gold Coast Wheelchair Basketball Squad, Temple Gym, Atkins Health, Ability Counts (all the way from Kooralbyn!), and our most regular attendees, Rob Bailey and Gail Harbott.

Not to mention that Surfers Paradise has a new All Abilities Ambassador, Adam Sheppard! He has been attending every Thursday with his son, Fletch, and Natasha Price. They have absolutely smashed through their progression. I can’t wait to be able to carve it up in the tunnel with them very soon.

Despite not flying as much as I would have liked this year due to personal issues, I always look forward to hosting the All Abilities nights each month. Not just the flying but also the social interactions with likeminded people, friends, and acquaintances, are just so invaluable for supporting each other in an environment where we can all feel comfortable.

iFLY is a fantastic gift for people with a disability. You can choose any of the first-time flight packages, and iFLY will handle the rest.

We already have our All Abilities events scheduled for the last Thursday of every month in 2023, starting on February 23rd. We hope to see you all in the new year! Happy Flying!