Miss Peaches on the Road: Helen Soars above the Stubaital Valley

Helen started paragliding three years ago and, as she says, it was love at first sight. “The very first time I jumped with my friend, I knew I wanted to get into this. Since then, I’ve devoted everything to this sport. Last year, I left my job and moved to Austria. Weather permitting, I spend every spare minute flying. If you want to do aerobatic flying, you need to make about eight jumps a day. I completed 800 flights last year,” says Helen, who always has a smile on her face.

First, though, she has to race Nina. Helen gives Nina a head-start because she needs to prepare a parachute, but passes her during the glide to win with ease.

As night falls, it’s time to go to a cozy local restaurant for some Käsespätzle, the famous cheese gnocchi. “You’ll have to stop by again soon. I’ll teach you to fly,” Helen says, inviting Nina to visit again.