14-Year-Old Indoor Skydiving Athlete Flies Like a Superhero

Malachai “Chewie” DeAth loves flying. The 14-year-old Bodyflight athlete picked up the sport after trying it out for the first time as a reward for his good grades and was immediately hooked. Chewie fell in love with the sport and started competing in a four belly team, catching the eye of his coach and flying partner Guillaume Boileau. Guillaume saw Chewie’s dedication, talent and love of flying, and took him under his wing, helping Chewie develop his skills. Together, they formed their dynamic flying squad Team Taurus, and started competing in events across the world.

Indoor skydiving, officially known as Bodyflight, is a new sport that is gaining popularity across the globe as an alternative and safer version of skydiving. Individuals can compete in free flying or dynamic events, the latter of which is composed of choreographed routines judged on various factors. Chewie and Guillaume are a unique team that leverage their vast size difference in their routines. From Chewie “surfing” Guillaume in and out of the tunnel to their rodeo flip, the duo are constantly looking to break barriers.

Chewie says there is no better feeling than the one he gets inside the tunnel, pushing himself to go faster and harder. “It’s like opening a fourth dimension. There’s this point where you learn every orientation of your body so you can fly around and do what you want. It’s incredible.”

While Chewie is focused on improving his craft at the moment, he has high hopes. There are rumors that the sport is going to be added to the Olympics by 2024, which would make the rising Bodyflight star the optimal age of 19 that year. Long-term, Chewie has his sights set on coaching, looking to travel the world to bring his love and experience of the sport to others.

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