For fiercely competitive multi-sport athlete Lisa Bradley, her different sort of challenge arrived as a young adult, when she was 21. During intensive prep for the Commonwealth Games, this young woman suffered life-changing misfortunate and accident while training on location in Queenstown, New Zealand. Her left leg was completely dislocated as a result of this tragic occurrence. Each surgery and all the time spent in rehabilitation not only threatened her athletic career. It made doctors discuss amputation as a legitimate option. Yet it was Lisa’s determination that turned an unforeseen tragedy into an epic life saga, deeply rooted in the history of hang gliding and paragliding.
The accident became the fulcrum point for everything in Lisa’s life. Doctors told her that her quality of life would be greatly affected and that she wouldn’t be able to play competitive sports again. Lisa recalls the moment vividly: “They said your life is going to be different, you’re not going to be able to do sport.” In spite of this bleak prognosis, she found her new calling. What unfolded next was this budding passion led her to becoming a favorite teacher in the heavens.
A Surprising Visitor and New Beginnings
During her recovery in the hospital, Lisa received an unexpected visitor: the driver who had run over her. This meeting was an incredibly touching experience that illustrated how serious her circumstances were. Rather than focusing on what happened in the crash, Lisa went to work on getting her health back. Through hang gliding and paragliding, she found her love of sport again.
From these early experiences, Lisa cultivated a deep love for these flight-based activities. She spent the next three decades building a career as an instructor, teaching others to soar through their own paths as aviators. “You’re riding currents that you can’t see, but you can feel,” she says, emphasizing the unique experience of flying. For Lisa, hang gliding provides not only a break from reality but freedom like she’s never felt before.
She’s been through a lot, but Lisa doesn’t quit. Beyond serving as a personal adaptation tool, she now actively competes in international hang-gliding competitions and paraglides daily—including on her retail job lunch breaks. “You’re so far from the earth, you feel so free,” she shares, reflecting on the exhilaration of flight.
A Declining Sport and Future Concerns
Whether teaching or competing, for Lisa it’s all about conveying a passion for the sport. As an instructor, she’s seen a disturbing trend in the hang-gliding community. She tells of the drastic drop in interest from young people wanting to learn this sport. In actuality, she says there are probably fewer than ten operating hang-gliding schools left in all of Australia as we know it today.
“The future for hang gliding, it’s really unknown to be honest,” Lisa laments. Her concerns are shared by other enthusiasts, such as Alistair. Chris mentions that with the ongoing improvements in technology, paragliding is becoming safer and more accessible to newbies. “All of this is making paragliding easier and more accessible for people,” he adds.
Even with all this excitement, Lisa isn’t downplaying the need for safety, and being smart and prepared. “I only fly with good equipment and I only fly in conditions I know I have the skills for,” she asserts. She warns potential pilots that taking unnecessary risks can lead to dangerous situations: “If you fly in the wrong conditions or with equipment that’s not good, well, you’re asking for trouble.”
Inspiring Others Through Experience
Lisa Bradley’s story, from trauma to teacher, will inspire you, too. It has taken her resilience and hard work to regain her joy in sports, but she’s found it again. Today, she guides others on how to pursue what moves them. “I say, ‘One door shut, another one opened,’” she reflects on how adversity can lead to new opportunities.
Her dedication to sharing hang gliding and paragliding comes from her confidence that these sports can change lives. Lisa encourages others to pursue their interests in flying while prioritizing safety and commitment: “You need to be fit and fully committed.”
