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In the mountains of Valle del Cauca, a child from the Colombian countryside found in paragliding far more than a sport: an escape, a reason to live. Today he is a high-level paragliding pilot, an APPI instructor, and a social entrepreneur. This is Giovanni's story!

The mountain child

Some destinies begin with a gaze lifted to the sky. Giovanni Valencia Gamboa's began on the dusty streets of La Buitrera, a Colombian village nestled in the mountains near Palmira. "My cousin Cristian and I were playing with paper kites when we saw a kind of parachute coming down from the sky." Fascinated, they ran to the landing spot.

It was the late 1990s. In Valle del Cauca, this was Colombia in the full brutality of the armed conflict. His father, a farmer, had to flee because of violence by armed groups. The family rebuilt their lives in the village, with very little. "Because of the conflict, we were displaced from the mountains. My father bought a few cows that I would watch over in the afternoons in the streets of La Buitrera."

At the large field where the paragliders landed, Giovanni met Daniel Fernández and his wife, Libia García. "At first I folded their wings while watching over the cows." Little by little, the boy absorbed the free-flight culture, soaking up every detail of the pilots' conversations. Seeing something special in him, Daniel decided to train him.

"Daniel Fernández was much more than an instructor. He was a mentor, a guide, someone who believed in me. He taught me to fly, and he also passed on values, discipline, and the importance of sharing knowledge with others."

His first flight remains etched in his memory like an inner earthquake. "It was a mix of emotion, nervousness, and wonder. I remember feeling an immense sense of freedom at takeoff. That first flight will always remind me of Daniel, my flying father."

In March 2007, just after Giovanni turned 17, Daniel Fernández was murdered in Palmira. The shock to the community was immense. "For a while, I felt a great emptiness. But giving up flying would have meant letting part of his legacy die."

So Giovanni and his cousin Cristian carried on. First at the Chicamocha Canyon, to gain experience and make a living from paragliding through tandem flights. Then came SENA's tourist guide training programs, and finally the creation of two companies: ECOAVENTUREX and PARAPENTEX.

Going from pilot to entrepreneur wasn't an obvious step. "Flying and running a business are two very different worlds. I had to learn management, client care, planning..." But Giovanni's vision goes beyond the commercial sphere. "My project is, above all, a social one. I want sustainable tourism that benefits my community — not just economically, but environmentally and socially too."

On the sporting side, the results speak for themselves. A member of the Colombian national paragliding team since 2020, he has competed internationally in North Macedonia, finished second at the Pan-American pre-championship in Chile in 2025, and placed in the national top 3 three times. He has qualified for the World Championships four times — turning them down each time for lack of funds. "Knowing you have the ability to go to the World Championships, but that the obstacle is money, creates frustration. It has taught me resilience, though. An athlete's worth also lies in the consistency with which they pursue their dreams."

And then there's Iván. A child affected by the conflict, just as Giovanni once was. He and Cristian took him under their wing, exactly as Daniel had done a generation earlier. At 14, Iván became one of the youngest certified pilots of the Colombian Federation of Air Sports. "Watching how paragliding helped Iván build confidence and discipline has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life." The circle had closed.

APPI, or how to give structure to a dream

For years, Giovanni built himself on intuition. He knew how to fly, but he lacked a method to teach it. In 2024, the Colombian Federation of Air Sports invited him to apply for an APPI instructor training course. "I presented my paragliding school project, which is above all a social one, and I was selected. I discovered APPI, which gave me tools to formalize my safety procedures and my techniques, and which taught me how to structure training." For the self-taught pilot, it was a revelation: "I strengthened my theoretical knowledge, refined my guiding techniques, and gained modern teaching methodologies..."

The effects were immediate. "I'm now able to identify each student's specific needs and put in place suitable methods. Training has become more organized, more effective, and safer." Day to day, he uses the platform's educational resources, the certification system, and the tracking of each student's progress.

Beyond these contributions, the partnership between APPI and the association Ailes pour Eux (Wings for Them) has had a crucial impact on the school's development, allowing it to be equipped with gear. "Young people with limited resources can now access safe, well-maintained equipment, which makes their training journey easier. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but without the equipment, it's impossible to move forward."

In APPI, Giovanni found a real community. "An international network of professionals committed to safety, quality, and the development of paragliding. APPI gives me continuous learning, an exchange of experiences, and the chance to grow both personally and professionally. I'm proud to represent the association."

His plans for the coming years reflect the man himself: athletic, educational, and deeply human all at once. Competing in accuracy and cross-country flying, "representing my region, my country, and carrying the name of APPI and Ailes pour Eux," growing his company PARAPENTEX, and training young people who will in turn become professionals. And then there's one big dream, stated with quiet conviction: "To tell this story through a documentary or a film, and bring it to film festivals, to show how sport can transform lives and build peace."

And in that film, there would certainly be a place for Daniel Fernández. "I want Daniel to be recognized, even though he's no longer with us. To write him into the history of Colombian paragliding."

A child who once watched over cows in the streets of La Buitrera. A man who now represents his country on the international paragliding stage. Between the two: hands extended at just the right moment, and a passion for flight.

Thank you Giovanni for answering our questions! 🙏