It’s common knowledge that men tend to do dangerous things. That’s why you can find them doing break-neck sports, risky jobs, putting their lives at risk much more often than women.

  I’m not an exception. I’ve been doing risky things since I was a school boy. When I was a 3d year pupil my friends and I used to play at the construction site nearby.  Something just attracted us to that place and we could spend hours climbing, jumping and running all over the place. Hopefully my parents didn’t know anything about my ascents.

  Later, when I was a teenager, I started doing sport and I got hooked on it. For some time I flitted from one kind to another trying to find the best for me…But I liked them all. I tried boxing, wrestling, judo; I played football, volleyball, ping-pong and then basketball; worked out in the gym. After finishing school I was keen on weightlifting and it became a part of my life.

 When I was called into a military registration and enlistment office they asked me whether I wished to serve in paratroops. I agreed immediately. It was my dream. So I did military service in Ussuriysk in special forces paratroops brigade where I learnt how to set mines, shoot, fight. And of course I jumped from the plane.

  I’d say there’s nothing like parachute jumping!

 This is by far the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’ll never forget the feelings that I had standing in front of the open airplane door ready to jump, just waiting for the word "Go!”. 

First of all the view takes your breath away and you understand that in a moment you’ll become a part of this "behind-the-door” world. Then you can feel your blood boiling inside your body as you keep on having  an adrenaline rush, and to cool it down you just want to jump out of the plane as quickly as possible. So, you do it and next thing you feel is freedom because it’s freefalling for about 3-5 seconds and they are endless! The air flow’s whistling in your ears, you’re in the teeth of the wind striking you hard into your face and you can’t figure out where on earth is the earth. After that you just pull the cord, you feel a good jerk and the parachute opens. Silence and calmness.

  After two years in the army I entered a university and took up taekwondo, a kind of martial art. I won the first prize in local taekwondo tournaments 5 times. I liked it and I still do. Practicing this type of sport gives me feeling of independence and self-confidence.

  Nowadays I keep on doing sports: I play volleyball twice a week, work out in a gym and if I have a chance I’ll certainly jump from a plane one or several times more.

  Most of the activities mentioned above are really dangerous because they can end in serious injury, but despite that fact men do them and even like them. Why? Ask men.  I reckon there’s something in danger that attracts people. I’d say doing them is exciting and adrenaline inducing and it’s a good way to switch off work.