#30: Francois Montuori - Passion & Progress

The morning after the Wanderbird Season Ending Event at Skywalk,
I sat down with the overall winner of the 2025 WANDERBIRD Hero
category: François Montuori.


We talked about his impressive path in paragliding : a story of
focus, humility and flow.


François made his first school flight in late 2019. Since then,
he’s quietly become one of the most consistent and respected
athletes in the scene:


🪂 Sept 2019 – First school flight


June 2020 – First flight from Mont Blanc


April 2021 – First >150km flight


2022 – 430 hours in the air, >300km flights, 328km flat
triangle in the Alps


2023 – First PWC, first >300km FAI triangle


2024 – Two Junior European Records (FAI), Swiss Open winner,
pre-PWC podium, 7th at Dolomiti Superfly


2025 – Winner of the WANDERBIRD Trophy, podium at the British
Open, entry into the top 50 XC pilots worldwide





There is not a word about these stats in the Podcast (except from
me in the intro;) instead, the conversation is full of value
about:


- how to balance ambition and joy


- what it’s like to not come from a typical X-Alps background
(yet)


- how competition can be a source of connection


- the underrated importance of logistics and local knowledge


- flying with and without pressure


- choosing light gear vs full confidence setups


- how he approaches risk, learning, and recovery after a mistake





And of course, we touch on the values that matter most to him:
time, experience, nature and staying grounded even when flying
far.





If this conversation inspires you, share it with your friends,
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Thanks for listening,


Paul


#findyourpath