KOTTAYAM: From the mist-soaked skies of Vagamon hills to the international paragliding arena in Romania, Jobin Sebastian’s journey has been anything but ordinary. The 40-year-old has scripted history by securing a place in the United Kingdom’s national team for the European Paragliding Accuracy Championship to be held in Uroi, Romania this December, becoming the first Malayali to achieve the feat.
A native of Yendayar, a tranquil village in the eastern high ranges of Kottayam, Jobin is preparing to represent as part of its five-member contingent at the championship, which will bring together participants from 26 countries across Europe. The event, to be organised by the Romanian Aeronautical Federation and Wild Wind Adventure Club, will be held on Oct 2 to 10. He has been selected along with Andy Shaw, Myrianthe Ewington, Tom Ewington and Dexter Bond. Among these three, including Jobin, are pilots and other two are leaders.
Jobin, who is settled in Yeovil in Somerset, England, joined the paragliding training in 2025 under Andy Shaw, Chief Flying Instructor at Green Dragons Airsports in Woldingham, UK. Before moving to England, Jobin was a pilot with the Fly Vagamon Paragliding Club and worked as a commercial paragliding instructor for over a decade. He also represented India in the international paragliding competitions held in Uttarakhand, Pune and Vagamon.
Jobin earned a berth in the European championship based on the rankings of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the World Air Sports Federation. He accumulated the required points through the national-level competitions held across the UK over the past year. He is currently ranked seventh in the UK and had previously climbed to fourth.
“It was indeed a challenging journey. Although I moved to the UK in 2024, I resumed paragliding in 2025 as I had to balance my job as a caregiver, family responsibilities and training. Currently, I train under Andy Shaw. From the time I arrived in Europe until now, it has been the support I have received from Andy, not only as a trainer but also as a brother, that has helped me to earn a place in the UK team,” Jobin said.
He travelled twice a month for training sessions, often undertaking long journeys after work. “Attending training itself was a challenge as I had to travel nearly 160 miles by road from Yeovil to Woldingham. Each training session cost me around Rs 15,000,” he said.
Jobin said the difference in training standards and organising competitions in the UK is striking. “Competitions are conducted with meticulous planning and excellent facilities. In the UK, weather conditions are monitored with great precision before every flight, and flying is cancelled even if there is a slight change in the weather. Moreover, the terrain is more suitable for paragliding and the landing zones are much safer,” he added.
Jobin’s tryst with competitive paragliding began in India, where he competed in several tournaments and secured third place in the inaugural Top Landing Accuracy Championship held as part of the International Paragliding Festival at Vagamon. Now, as he prepares to soar over the skies of Romania, the seasoned para-glider hopes to turn his passion into a profession.