2024 World Gliding Championships
“The scores are tied; it’s time for the big one. You up for this one, Maverick?” ICEMAN.
For a long time, I’ve had a fear of failure, accepting a solid placing rather than taking opportunities to win. Fortunately, I realised this and put plans into action, and for the past 6-8 years, I’ve started winning as a result, albeit on the national stage only. I want more.
Let us rewind to day six of the 2024 World Gliding Championships in Uvalde, TX. The task is a 623km fixed task, the first of the competition. As the competitors, we knew it was a lengthy task for the day's weather, so there was little room to move around. Keith and I are 93pts behind Keith and Sarah of Team USA. The weather at the start is not easy; it’s blue with weak climbs that are generally hard to find. We decided to stay away from the gaggle and upwind, generally on our own but always staying high. We noticed that the gaggle was starting to bunch up and all float around at the top of convection, I could tell that they’re anxious to start, even from afar, so it’s likely that they’re counting down their timers, then dashing across the line at the last possible moment…
I notice a sole wisp upwind. With the slow climb rates and its height compared to mine, I figured I’d be at the top of convection as the timers ran out – it’s go-time. I trust myself, knowing that fiberglass will be everywhere in the first few glides/climbs; they’ll be slow, and I’ll catch up quickly. This is precisely what happened, and for about 400km, we were leading the World Championships. An opportunity presented itself to start near last, stick the knife in, and finish ahead of the gaggle, taking more points!
A long story short, on task 11 of the world championships, a similar story had unfolded. We nailed the start again, flew with extreme confidence, and caught the gaggle after 300km – all we had to do was to fly home with the lead gliders. I was flying as if I was completely free of the ‘fear of failure’; this again was my opportunity to realise the dream and put myself in a world championships winning position. I figured that I’d flown my own race, flown with my own rhythm; I understood the day; let’s keep going, stick the knife in, and gain more crucial points for the final shoot-out on the last day!
What happened once I caught the gaggle on both of these occasions? I fell into a hole, slowed down, and recovered with respectable points. How? After a three-second debrief on the moment that just happened, I merely reset, forget what just happened, go through a virtual start gate, and then be the fastest pilot in the sky from that moment forward.
Even though I thought I had lost my fear of failure by behaving as I did on the above flights (i.e., going for it when the opportunities arose), It all came down to the last day. Had I really lost my fear of failure? The answer ultimately was ‘no’. Why? I became too focused on my world ranking at that moment. If I could maintain my 2nd (1st was unachievable), then I can improve my ranking position – now 16th in the world! If I failed miserably, I could drop from 2nd to 6th or even further down the line…
On the last day, there was a risk of anvils, high cirrus, and weather coming in from the West. I started at the optimum time for a mid-comp flight, though those in 3rd to 6th positions could start later, banking on the weather being, on average, better. Ultimately, the weather got stronger, and I lost 2nd, subsequently finishing 4th, only 5 points behind 3rd!!!
This was the last piece of the puzzle for me to lose my fear of failure. I now have the world ranking and know I can win on the big stage. Next time I’m in the same position, I think I’ll be in a much better position to capitalise, & finally take that World Championship title that I’ve dreamt about since I was a young boy
Nike: Just.Go.For.It
Photo by Sean Franke
Adam Woolley was born into the gliding world, being the 3rd generation in his family. Going solo at 15, his thirst for efficiency in soaring flight & quest for a world championship title to his name has never wavered. One big passion is sharing his experiences & joy with other glider pilots all around the world. Adam is an airline pilot in Japan on the B767 & spends his off time chasing summer around the globe. He has now won 7 national Championships & represented Australia at 5 WGC's & 1 EGC.
