Meet
a Scientologist: Sydney Businessman Claims Skydiving is a Safe Sport
when Approached the Right Way
It takes a big leap of
faith to jump out of a plane at 10,000 feet and pull a rip cord, but
don't tell that to Guy Taylor. The 51-year-old Aussie from
Sydney–a dedicated family man with three kids—has
been skydiving for 30 years without a scratch. The self-described
"all-rounder" is a successful businessman on the city's Gold Coast, as
well as a member of the Australian Parachute Federation.
Henderson, NV (Vocus)
October 12, 2010
In a video featured on
the new Scientology Video Channel at Scientology.org, skydiver Guy
Taylor talks about the secret to safe skydiving.
It takes a big leap of faith to jump out of a plane at 10,000 feet and
pull a rip cord, but don't tell that to Guy Taylor. The 51-year-old
Aussie from Sydney–a dedicated family man with three
kids—has been skydiving for 30 years without a scratch.
The self-described "all-rounder" is a successful businessman on the
city's Gold Coast, as well as a member of the Australian Parachute
Federation.
A thrill-seeker by avocation, Taylor gives back to his sport of choice
as an instructor and has participated in world-record attempts of
large-formation skydiving both in America and in Thailand.
So what's it like jumping out of planes—especially when
you've done it 1,500 times?
To Taylor, it's like "No probs, mate."
As the daredevil puts it:
"Like any sport, when you first get into it the learning process can be
difficult, but once you get through that, and you can jump out of the
airplane and link up with other guys, it is just very, very
exciting.”
"The average skydive might last about 60 seconds, but what you get out
of 60 seconds is very exhilarating. When you land you feel very, very
in tune with your environment."
Taylor, a practicing Scientologist, is featured in the Scientology
Video Channel in the section called “Meet a
Scientologist.” He says Scientology has helped him as a
skydiver, especially in the realm of an undertaking that is, arguably,
a dangerous endeavor.
Linking his favorite hobby to his religion, Taylor explains:
"Skydiving is actually a very safe sport, but it can also be very
dangerous. But I’ve found that it’s only dangerous
when you become unethical with it. And what I learned in Scientology
has enabled me to keep myself ethical about the way I skydive, and
after 30 years of skydiving I’ve never had an accident. I
certainly attribute that to Scientology."
And being safe and ethical is crucial when you've literally got the
lives of others in your hands with nothing separating you from the
earth but thousands of feet of air.
"We did large formation skydiving with about a hundred people linking
up in the air at one time,” Taylor says.
"It wasn’t the easiest thing to do and there was a lot to
learn over a three-to-four-day period. But when you get a hundred
people to link up in the air it’s got a serious WOW factor
attached to it."
Taylor readily admits that Scientology has influenced—and
enhanced—his ability in skydiving and other sports:
"One very important point to me is that Scientology has kept me from
being narrow-minded about sports and generally what I’m
capable of doing.”
"Meaning, it helped me to see I can do any sport or activity and
develop and get better at it. At 51 I’m an active skydiver,
but I like to rock climb and scuba dive too. That’s because I
never dwelled on any doubt about my capabilities or what I could or
couldn’t achieve."
And that self-confidence Taylor directly attributes to his studies as a
Scientologist.
He elaborates: "If I were to name one thing as the key to my enthusiasm
for sports, it would be using Scientology Study Technology to
understand them.
"I really understand each one and when it comes to the reality of
something like jumping out of an airplane, opening your parachute,
landing the jump, there’s no slightest mystery for me of
what’s about to happen, because I’m ready and I
know exactly what to do. Any person absolutely has the ability to do
that if they really want to."
Since embracing Scientology in 1977 through an introduction from his
brother, Taylor has applied the practical know-how of Scientology to
maintain a productive and fulfilled life, while keeping alive his keen
interest in sports including, of course, his passion for skydiving.
Speaking of his religion, Taylor says: "It has really given me a degree
of stability which makes it possible for me to balance all the
activities I do and have a great family and a very happy life."
View the Guy Taylor video: Scientology.org.
The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the
Church of Scientology International video channel at Scientology.org
now total 150 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring
Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal
stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers,
skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt
pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians,
fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.
A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in
April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to
launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been
viewed by millions of visitors.
