One of the best: Indonesian paraglider pilot Jafro Megawanto

DW (English)

From the son of a farmer in Indonesia to one of the best paraglider pilots in the world: Jafro Megawanto has a unique story. With no family wealth and little government support, Jafro had to defy the odds just to break into a sport that is typically closed off to people from his background. Now with his own family to feed, Jafro is determined to regain the world number one ranking.

Transcript

00:00For me, flying is incredibly beautiful, something I can truly enjoy, something that brings me joy.

00:21Jafro Megawanto comes from a humble farming family, and his rise to the pinnacle of paragliding hasn't been easy.

00:29He started out folding parachutes for other pilots. Today, he's one of Indonesia's best paragliding athletes.

00:39The biggest challenge is money. Every time I train, every time I compete, it costs something.

00:47But over time, with consistent training, I found my purpose, to be the best. That's my purpose in paragliding.

00:59Today, just like any other day, Jafro is helping his father on the farm. He grows broccoli, celery, and taro.

01:13As the son of a farmer, he didn't grow up with wealth. Most of the family's income just covered their basic needs.

01:21Jafro has spent his entire life here in Batu City, East Java. It was one of the first paragliding spots in Indonesia.

01:32But for years, flying was nothing more than a dream. Paragliding was seen as a sport for the rich.

01:38I'm a farmer's son, from a family of farmers. As a kid, I used to play soccer on a field that happened to be the paragliding landing zone.

01:52I started dreaming, wanting to be like the older guys from my village. They were already doing paragliding.

01:59His first encounter with paragliding came when he was 10 years old. He became a paraboy, a kid who folds parachutes for pilots after landing.

02:15I saw my friends folding parachutes and earning money from it. Eventually, I was tempted to join them and started folding parachutes too.

02:24After years of working as a paraboy, Jafro started building friendships with athletes and instructors.

02:38And one day, he got his big break. One of the instructors offered to train him for free.

02:47Even when he was a little kid, we could see how eager he was to help.

02:50He was always respectful to seniors. He had passion and a strong work ethic. That's why we chose Jafro.

02:59Despite financial challenges, Jafro was able to train consistently thanks to the unwavering support of his father and family.

03:09Yes, it was difficult to support Jafro financially.

03:12But as a father, I believed it was my duty to always stand by him, even though I didn't have much money.

03:18Especially since paragliding is such an expensive sport.

03:23I always prioritized Jafro's needs over my own and made many personal sacrifices to cover the costs.

03:34After a year of hard work, he entered his first competition and came in third.

03:39From there, the wins kept coming, and so did the recognition.

03:44From 2019 to 21, he was the world number one in the paragliding accuracy class.

03:50I started with small local events as a junior.

03:57Then I was recruited by the regional coach.

04:01I joined the East Java squad.

04:03And from there, I was given equipment, food, a salary, and full support to compete.

04:09All I had to bring was spirit, and training.

04:17That pushed me to aim higher.

04:19My dream became to strengthen Indonesia's national team.

04:25With the team, I joined many events, like World Cups in different countries.

04:31Those events helped me earn points, and eventually reached the number one world ranking.

04:36So, I was able to get a high point, and I was able to reach the number one ranking.

04:43Winning competitions is crucial to maintaining a top ranking in paragliding.

04:49To reclaim the number one spot, Jafro must stay consistent in every event.

04:55But again, financial limitations and the lack of government support make this a tough challenge.

05:01Paragliding remains a niche, underfunded sport in Indonesia.

05:06Most of the time, Jafro must fund his own participation out of his own pocket.

05:12Now a father of two, he has to think twice before signing up for a competition.

05:18Still, these challenges don't break his spirit.

05:21I once received a sizable bonus from the government.

05:27I saved it, started a small business, and grew it.

05:31So, now I use the profits to fund my travel to international events.

05:38Even though my wife and family sometimes express concern, because these events are expensive,

05:44I push forward with determination.

05:48I have the spirit and the will to make Indonesia proud on the international stage.

05:53After years of saving and building that small business,

06:04Jafro is now ready to compete again in the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup.

06:09His goal? Reclaim the world number one ranking.

06:13He currently stands at number 23.

06:15Soon the World Cup Series will be held in Thailand.

06:24I'm motivated and hope to achieve the best results there.

06:28If I'm lucky, maybe even make it back to number one.

06:34With less than four months to go, he trains every single day.

06:38Consistency is the key.

06:41That's what he believes.

06:43But paragliding is also at the mercy of nature.

06:46Today, unfortunately, the weather isn't safe enough to fly.

06:55The weather is overcast and the wind is blowing hard.

06:59There's potential for rain in multiple directions.

07:03The windsocks show strong gusts from the front.

07:06So, no flying today.

07:07If we fly now, the strong wind could push us backwards

07:11or prevent us from moving forward at all.

07:16The next day brings better conditions,

07:18clear skies and favorable winds.

07:21And Jafro is back on the hill, ready to take off.

07:25His focus is now locked in

07:27to strengthen his body, sharpen his mind

07:30and prepare for the competition

07:32that could take him back to the top of the world.

07:37The long-awaited competition has finally arrived.

07:47For the next four days,

07:49Jafro will compete against 83 of the best paragliding pilots

07:53from 21 countries,

07:55all gathered in Nongkai, Thailand,

07:58for the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup.

08:01This process is to check the equipment,

08:04specifically to ensure that our weight falls within the appropriate load range

08:08for the parachute we are using.

08:10This is known as the external pool.

08:14It helps the pilot land accurately on the zero-point,

08:16the center of the target,

08:17which is extremely small,

08:18only about 1.5 centimeters in diameter.

08:21If the pool is too hard,

08:23it can damage the measuring device used in competition,

08:27which is called the pad.

08:28In the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup,

08:32the goal is simple.

08:33Land as close as possible to a small target pad

08:35with the center as the focal point.

08:37Over four days,

08:38each participant will go through several elimination rounds.

08:42Those who receive the fewest points secure a spot in the final round.

08:46Each participant will go through several elimination rounds.

08:50Those who receive the fewest points secure a spot in the final round.

08:55The system is like this.

08:57After the fifth round, we cut 24 pilots.

09:01So only 60 pilots can fly.

09:04After the next round, 40 pilots.

09:07And after that, last round is 8 rounds,

09:10only 20 pilots, 20 best pilots.

09:13The best one is who has the minus scores.

09:24Before the competition officially starts,

09:27all athletes are allowed to undergo flight training.

09:39The score was two.

09:40There was a little thermal turbulence,

09:44which made it a bit shaky.

09:48I need to stay calm and maintain better control.

09:52Jafro has made it to round seven,

09:59the last round before the final,

10:01where one mistake could cost him everything.

10:04In this round, Jafro faces several top competitors,

10:08like 2018 Asian Games silver medalist Jirasak Wittitam from Thailand,

10:13but also fellow Indonesians.

10:15One of them, named Eris, is a strong contender.

10:21But Jafro manages to achieve a perfect landing.

10:24That's a hard one.

10:26Number five.

10:27Number five.

10:28Zero.

10:28Six.

10:29Three.

10:30Four.

10:31Zero.

10:32Zero.

10:33Zero.

10:34My score was zero.

10:35I made it to the top 20.

10:37And it feels a little nerve-wracking.

10:41The toughest competitor for me is myself.

10:44I need to stay synchronized and calm to face the final round.

10:48after reaching the final the competition grows even more intense

10:57Jafra was tied on points with three athletes from China but in the end he

11:02finishes in fourth place

11:06there are still many things to improve what I really need to be focused on is

11:11that even one point can make the difference between winning and losing I

11:16hope next time I will become the champion

11:29back home his wife and two kids cheer him on even though the result wasn't what

11:35they had hoped for there are no regrets only renewed determination for Jafra to

11:41train harder and perform better in the upcoming events more than just a sport

11:47paragliding has been a blessing for Jafra his dedication and hard work have

11:53brought him a life far better than he ever imagined

12:00I started with nothing just a farmer's son folding parachutes but through this

12:07sport I gained experience built a business and now I have a career through

12:14paragliding I've been able to achieve what I set out to do and now I always want to

12:20find ways to pass on the love for this sport to those around me

12:23Thank you

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