Skydiver at 12

When 12-year-old Kyra Poh decided earlier this year to go from indoor skydiving to actual skydiving from a plane thousands of metres up in the sky, her father was shocked and did not approve of it.

It was four years earlier than Mr Roy Poh, 40, had expected. Their agreement had been to wait until Kyra was 16, the legal age to skydive. But his wife Carolyn, 40, found out Kyra could do it at the minimum age of 12 in Sydney where they were going on a trip, and both mum and daughter were up for it.

But Mr Poh, a creative director, who says he is a worrier by nature, thought she would be too small for the harness and "it wouldn't be able to hold her".

He adds: "It took a few days for them to convince me."

In front of Kyra's father and grandparents, Mrs Poh, who runs her own advertising agency, asked the girl if she would still want to do it considering the possibility of mishaps during the tandem skydive. Kyra said yes and the decision was made.

In June, she successfully completed her first tandem skydive in Sydney, Australia.

The Haig Girls' School Primary 6 pupil is a high flier. She has been into indoor skydiving since she was nine years old when she shot an advertisement for the newly opened iFly Singapore in Sentosa, and is now a youth ambassador for iFly, the world's largest wind tunnel for indoor skydiving, where she trains four times a week for competitions.

In April, she represented Singapore in the Bodyflight World Challenge 2014 held in Bedford, United Kingdom, and came back with a silver medal in the Dynamic 2-Way Open category with instructor and teammate Kristopher Reynolds, 34.

Last December, she broke the Guinness World Record for performing the most number of backward somersaults in a wind tunnel in one minute - her 68 somersaults beat the previous record of 52.

She also has two world records in group categories.

The family, which also includes Kyra's four-year-old sister Vera, lives with Mrs Poh's parents and elder brother.

Why do you encourage Kyra to do indoor skydiving?

Mrs Poh: It started for fun because we like our children to try everything. But we realised she was actually very dedicated to it.

It became more like a sport to her and she really wanted to excel.

Mr Poh: We're more encouraging towards sports and the arts. I feel they're more fun to celebrate than studies.

Kyra: When I was young, I dreamt of flying and now I'm happy I have the chance to do it. I also like art and want to study visual arts at the School of the Arts next year.

How proud are you of Kyra's indoor skydiving achievements?

Mr Poh: I'm proud she has stuck with something for a very long time and it has shown results.

Kyra: I'm proud of my Guinness World Records because I trained harder for them than anything else and did my best.

Mrs Poh: I'm proudest of her determination.

Did you always know she was so sporty?

Mrs Poh: There is a funny story. When Kyra was two, my husband and I went to Melbourne for work without her. While we were there, we visited a tarot-card reader, who told us she'd be a very talented person with a wind instrument.

Mr Poh: He said she'd be on the world stage.

Mrs Poh: I came home and bought a flute, but the moment she put it to her mouth, I thought that couldn't be her talent.

Later on, I realised that perhaps the wind instrument the man spoke about meant a wind tunnel.

We let her try all sorts of sports. She's done everything from swimming to gymnastics to skiing.

Kyra: My favourite period in school is physical education because I get to do different kinds of sports.

What was the naughtiest thing she has done and how was she punished?

Mrs Poh: In Primary 1, she cheated in a spelling test because she was too eager to impress me. I had to use a fly swatter to smack her on the hand.

Does it ever worry you to see Kyra doing indoor skydiving?

Mr Poh: It was worrying watching her for the first time in the tunnel when she was barely flying and just doing the most basic moves.

Kyra: I told my dad to chill. I'm in the hands of very good and professional instructors.

Mrs Poh:Every sport has a calculated risk. I would never make her change from skydiving to ballet just because it's safer.

How do you juggle studies and indoor skydiving training?

Kyra: I usually train at iFly from evening to night, and my schoolwork is done in the afternoon.

Mrs Poh: The teachers in her school make allowances for her and help her catch up when she has to be absent due to her skydiving.

How is the family involved in her activities?

Mr Poh: I'm the person in charge of her well-being.

Mrs Poh: He's the driver and the one who makes sure she eats on time because the mummy forgets these things. Her father is the worrier.

For some strange reason, we swop roles in our family. I'm the manager - I see what she wants to do and tell her to go for it.

The grandparents are the die-hard fan club. The sister looks at her like her hero.

If the parent-child roles were reversed, what would you do differently?

Mrs Poh: She thinks a little too much sometimes, so I would change that.

She tries to think of everyone else and I feel she just needs to live more like a child.

Mr Poh: But I would be really happy if I were Kyra because I really like her lifestyle. I would make myself less clumsy.

Kyra: I would eat frozen yogurt for breakfast, lunch and dinner in front of my kids because I like it.

cherylm@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Aug 17, 2014.
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