Indoor skydiving world champ Kyra Poh on flying high with sister Vera: ‘One day, she will be better than me’

Vera: I’m in Secondary 1, and my classmates and school friends are very supportive of what I do. When I miss out on school, they would tell me what I’d need to catch up on. And as it’s a new sport to them, they ask me questions and make the effort to understand what I do, and why I love it. My school has also allowed me to train flying as a co-curricular activity (CCA). 

AND NOW YOU BOTH ARE COACHING AS WELL?

Kyra: I’m usually away for the summer, but my ex-partner Yi Xuan and I (who used to compete together) train about up to 40 professional flyers on Saturdays. The oldest is a 52-year-old – he’s Japanese and trains with us on the weekends.

Vera: Yi Xuan coaches me and my four-way dynamic flying team. When my sister’s away, I help to coach the others on Saturdays, and I coach speed rounds, one-on-one, on Thursdays as well. The flying community’s really close – we’re going to bring some of our professional flyers to Australia to compete in smaller competitions for fun, which I’ll probably take part in with one of them. 

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR SISTER –  WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE QUALITY IN HER?

Vera: She’s always very positive even when something goes wrong. That changes the whole mood of the situation, and it never fails to make me feel better. 

I really wanted to get into the School of the Arts, and when I didn’t get in, my sister helped me to be optimistic about it. She said: “You won’t have super long days like I did, and you will have more time to hang out with your friends even if you choose to continue flying as a sport.”  And she’s right. I am really enjoying my school and time with my friends now.