A 14-year-old schoolboy from Carletonville recently ticked a major item off his bucket list when he was surprised with a tandem skydive at the Johannesburg Skydiving Club (JSC).

According to Estiaan Labuschagne, a Grade Eight learner at Hoërskool Carletonville, he has dreamt of skydiving since he was nine.

His dream finally came true thanks to Eugene ‘Pottie’ Potgieter, a well-known local skydiver and former employer of Estiaan’s mother, Nooi.

“Pottie always said we will have to wait until Estiaan is old enough, but never said when that will be,” says his mother, Nooi.

Big was her surprise when Potgieter told her that he would take Estiaan on a surprise tandem jump late last month.

According to Estiaan, he had no idea he would go skydiving on this day. He and his mother went to the JSC, which they often do for weekend entertainment.

After a warm welcome, “Uncle Pottie” asked to “borrow” the youngster to try on a harness.

“I thought I was just being used as a model when he told me that, if I wanted to go for a jump, we could go now,” says a shy Estiaan.

The experience was a double first for the teenager, who had never even flown in an aeroplane before that day.

According to Estiaan, he loved every moment of the dive and would certainly want to do it more when he is older.

“I want to do this again, it was super nice,” says the youngster, who could be seen smiling all the way through the video footage of his skydive.

“I am so proud of my son,” concluded Estiaan’s mother, admitting she would never be brave enough to do it herself.

When he isn’t soaring through the clouds, Estiaan keeps his feet firmly on the ground with a busy schedule. He is a keen rugby and cricket player, a member of his school choir, and a top performer in the classroom.