With a skydiving career stretching back to 1990, Maria Kambourova has pushed the sport of skydiving in Greece to new altitudes. Many, if not most, experienced skydivers in Greece have her training to thank for their successes in the sky, and those who learned from her speak of her kindness, passion and care for her students. As a pilot, rigger, instructor, examiner and accomplished skydiver, there’s nothing Kambourova can’t do on a drop zone.
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“Maria Kambourova is the person who truly opened the door to skydiving for us [in Greece], both literally and figuratively. She was our first instructor, the last face we saw before stepping out of an aircraft, the calm voice on the radio and the one who inspired confidence during our earliest AFF jumps. She trusted me early on with camera flying during tandem jumps, and I was fortunate to be there filming her first tandems as an instructor. Above all, Maria has been and continues to be a tireless contributor to the sport in Greece, and for those she taught, her words before exit—'Door! Have a good one!’—will always echo.” —Ioannis Vlachiotis, Parachutist profilee# 293
Nickname: My husband calls me Konti (“the short one”)
Age: 52
Height: 5’1’’
Birthplace: The Valley of Roses, Bulgaria
Nationality: Greek
Marital Status: Married to Ioannis Lykakis
Pets: 27 (former stray) dogs
Occupation: DZO, skydiving instructor, parachute rigger
Education: Bachelor’s in management from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Transportation: I usually drive a small van to accommodate parachutes and dogs.
Pet Peeves: People who blame others for their own mistakes
Hobbies: Flying, rally driving with my husband
Favorite Food: Any Greek dish; I also like Mexican food.
Life Philosophy: Enjoy every moment. Do not take anything for granted.
How did you start? Static-line with a huge round parachute.
Jump Philosophy: Have fun, but if anything goes wrong, stay calm, assess the situation and do your best to survive.
Team Name: Greece Lightning
Sponsors: Mine and my husband’s pockets
Discipline: Formation skydiving, accuracy
Home Drop Zone: Hellenic Skydivers
First Jump: 1990
Licenses/Ratings: D-19859; USPA Static-Line and Coach Examiner, AFF and Tandem Instructor; FAA Master Parachute Rigger, EASA Private Pilot
Championships: Several national championships in accuracy and formation skydiving
Associations/Club Memberships: USPA, Hellenic Aeronautical & Air Sports Federation, Hellenic Skydivers
Total Jumps: 7,600
FS: 2,500
AFF: 1,800
Tandem: 1,600
Camera: 800
Largest Completed Formation: 25
Cutaways: 10 (5 sport, 5 tandem)
Most people don't know this about me:
My rigging career started when I was very young sewing clothes for me and my friends.
What is skydiving like in Greece?
It has been growing constantly and there are now five drop zones operating. But Greece has a huge shoreline, many islands and countless taverns. Most people prefer going to the beach or eating outside instead of doing crazy things like jumping out of airplanes.
What jump stands out the most?
A demo jump in a very tight spot with a huge flag during a World War II celebration, in front of government and military officials. The chief of Hellenic Armed Forces, who had a military jumping background, congratulated me personally and awarded me with his personal metal emblem.
How long do you plan on skydiving?
As long as I can.
What do you like most about the sport?
Its continuous evolution.
What do you like least?
Sky gods.
Who have been your skydiving mentors?
My husband Ioannis Lykakis, J.B Siegfried and Bram Clement.
What are your future goals?
Creating a new drop zone on a Greek island.
How did you become interested in skydiving?
My father used to jump when he was young and was telling me how rich and intense the feeling of freedom was, so from the age of 10, I knew I wanted to give it a try. When I was 17, I went along with two classmates to the local aeroclub, and that was it. I was hooked.
I skydive because …
It heals my soul.
Any suggestions for students?
Learn as much as you can; remember that we do not grow wings on our shoulders; and the ground is hard for everyone, no matter how many jumps we have.
What's the most badass thing you can do in the air?
I can convince a scared first-time student that they are perfectly safe and ready to jump.
What is your favorite jump plane and why?
Mike Mullins’ Super King Air. (Isn’t it obvious why?)
Most embarrassing freefall moment:
On an AFF level 4, the student was on the step holding the strut of a Cessna TP-206. After her count, she remained there, while I slipped from inside the plane, losing both grips. She jumped after couple of seconds that seemed like an eternity. Fortunately, I was able to get in my position pretty fast.
What was it like starting a DZ in Greece?
It was hard. Those days there was no guidance or information and no internet. We partially translated a 1988 USPA SIM and used it as a guideline. Then, in 1996, a U.S. skydiver named J.B. Siegfried came to visit our drop zone and we asked him for help. He contacted USPA and helped us go through the instructional system. It was the beginning of the International Affiliate Drop Zone program. Since then, we have operated at 11 different airports all around Greece.
The toughest thing to do in skydiving is:
Knowing when to say no.
What kind of student were you?
I wasn’t natural at all. I had to learn how to relax and stop spinning on my own. I had a huge round parachute on my back and a big reserve on my belly. They both weighed around 20 kilos, and I had to twist my leg straps several times in order to fit me.
Which jump would you like to do again?
A sunset jump over Megara, Greece, with a stunning view. It felt like happiness.
What do you consider your most significant life achievement?
Having the love of my students. Many of them call me their “sky mom.”
Suggestions for USPA:
USPA is doing a great job educating skydivers and providing detailed information available to everybody.
Best skydiving moment?
Being surprised with a birthday cake from my students at the DZ.
Weirdest skydiving moment?
Having taught a complete first-jump static-line course, gearing up the students and boarding the Cessna with the rig on my back—one of the students asked me if I was a skydiver too.
Explain Maria Kambourova in five words or fewer:
Calm, helping, humble.