Business
9 December, 2024
Pushing boss over the edge just part of the job
A YOUNG woman has literally pushed her boss over the edge.
Godfather of bungy jumping AJ Hackett was thrown off his Skypark Cairns tower by Australia’s first female jump master 25-year-old Shai Baller.
Having extensively popularised the sport across the globe, Mr Hackett developed safe bungy jumping for the public, opening his first site in New Zealand in 1988.
Launching Skypark Cairns in 1990, Mr Hackett returned to Cairns to jump as Ms Baller’s first client at the rainforest bungy tower.
Mr Hackett said Ms Baller had proven herself to be an exceptional jump master for Skypark Cairns.
“Throughout two years of rigorous training, Shai has shown an outstanding commitment to the Skypark compliance standards that have underpinned our unblemished safety record with more than 585,000 jumps in the past 34 years,” Mr Hackett said.
“I was absolutely delighted to put my trust in Shai and her training and once again experience the thrill of bungy jumping in the world’s oldest rainforest of Tropical North Queensland.
“I’ve lost count of the number of bungy jumps I’ve done since my first amateur jump in 1986, but the excitement of jumping has not diminished.
“Becoming the first client of Australia’s first female bungy master reminds me of the many innovations the AJ Hackett brand has made in adventure tourism over the past four decades.”
Ms Baller said the opportunity to have AJ Hackett as her first client was a fan girl moment come true.
“I met AJ last year when he came to Cairns, which was surreal as I had always dreamed of meeting him after researching his company while I was studying adventure tourism management,” she said.
“I’ve come a long way since I met him and have really found my passion, helping people to overcome their fears and be a part of their adventure experience.”
