Putting in an application isn't an obvious decision for the 34-year-old athlete Kinga Mastalerz (NZL2). For a long time after the 2019 race she suffered from the post-race comedown. "I was really exhausted, physically and mentally," she says.

Listless, she was unable to find a new goal to fill the void. "I'd been so focused that I couldn't think about what to do next. It was only when I re-connected with flying that I saw how much it gave me. I started flying more committedly and self-confidently. Suddenly, all those things I learned from the other athletes and the race came together. Something just switched. I was choosing good lines, it was like I'd jumped on a different level - I just became a better pilot and it was pure pleasure."