Nicola Scaife
{{Short description|Australian hot air balloonist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| image = Nicola Scaife by 1rhb.jpg
| caption = Scaife in Leszno, 2014
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|29|2014|Sep|18}}
| birth_place = Albury, New South Wales, Australia
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Hot air ballooning }}
{{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | Women's World Championship }}
{{MedalGold | 2014 Leszno | }}
{{MedalGold | 2016 Birštonas | }}
{{MedalBronze | 2018 Nałęczów | }}
}}
Nicola Scaife (born 1984 or 1985) is an Australian hot air balloonist.{{Cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-18/nicola-scaife-wins-first-womens-ballooning-world-championship/5751094 |title=NSW mother wins ballooning world championship |date=2014-09-18 |newspaper=ABC News |language=en-AU |access-date=2016-12-26 |quote=The 29-year-old}} She has won the FAI Women's World Hot Air Balloon Championship twice, in 2014 and 2016.{{Cite news |url=http://www.asac.asn.au/2016/07/hot-air-balloonist-nicola-scaife-defends-fai-world-title/ |title=Hot Air Balloonist Nicola Scaife defends FAI World Title - ASAC Website |date=2016-07-11 |newspaper=ASAC Website |language=en-US |access-date=2016-12-26}}
Life
Scaife was born and raised in Albury, New South Wales, Australia. As a teenager, Scaife represented Australia in marathon kayaking, however she was forced to retire due to injury. She went on a hot air balloon flight with her mother and became interested in the industry - she started working for a hot air balloon company, initially in administration and support roles, and then began flying in 2006.{{Cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/on-top-of-the-world-australian-nicola-scaife-wins-world-womens-hot-air-balloon-title/news-story/bc1d8138712555021bfbbc5b020e8f23 |title=On top of the world: Australian Nicola Scaife wins World Women's Hot Air Balloon title |website=TheAustralian.com.au |date=2014-09-19 |access-date=2016-12-26 |url-access=subscription}} In 2007 she earned her private Pilot’s Certificate and later moved on to become a Commercial Pilot.
Her first competition ballooning event was in 2013 in Canowindra, New South Wales. In 2014 Scaife won the first women's world championship event in Leszno, Poland, in what was only her fourth competitive event. In July 2016 she successfully defended her title at the 2nd FAI Women’s World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Birstonas, Lithuania. In 2018 Scaife won bronze at 3rd FAI Women's World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Nałęczów, Poland.
Scaife and her husband run a hot air ballooning company in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|www.nicolascaife.com}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scaife, Nicola}}
Category:Australian balloonists
Category:Sportspeople from Albury
Category:Australian businesspeople