What struck me most upon meeting Shannon seven years ago was his insane curiosity and positive regard for people. This translates into a personable, accessible, humble individual who strives to connect with people in meaningful ways.
Shannon is an excellent teacher and a shining example of how to live life to its fullest, through both triumph and tragedy. An inspiration to me, and to everyone around him. He brings out the best in people. I can’t recommend him highly enough.
Shannon has a huge reputation in the sport [of skydiving] not only via his achievements, but also through his ability to engage others through his coaching and mentoring style where his strength is to put himself in other’s shoes and utilise this perspective to convey his message. This is important as individual performance does not mean a natural ability to coach or mentor, however this is clearly not the case for Shannon.
Shannon is a world-class canopy pilot, teacher and most importantly, person. He makes everyone around him better by connecting his unique story with the experiences of each person he meets. He should not be alive. Take a moment to listen. You will not be disappointed.
Shannon has significant and relevant experience as a world-champion competitor, team coach and training program designer. He is a proactive leader who consistently produces excellent results in all of his endeavors. His character is his greatest asset. He consistently responds to both success and failure with the same humble and grounded manner. He is driven, persistent, approachable, compassionate, articulate and intelligent. Shannon is a solid person, lovely to be around, and unwavering in the face of the most severe adversity.
Shannon is driven to understand other people’s perspectives. I get the sense from him, more than most people, that he asks himself, ‘What is the person saying and what can I take from it that is true and valuable,’ rather than dismiss it. This is a difficult thing to do consistently when people have differing opinions.
They say the best teachers are the ones who can empathize with their students and Shannon is an extraordinary teacher. His talent is being able to communicate challenging concepts in a way folks can understand regardless of their skill or experience level.
Shannon possesses a rare ability to see different perspectives; some are blinded by their own beliefs and preconceptions and are unable to hear or see different points of view. Although Shannon clearly has his own opinions, he has an ability to listen, understand and genuinely appreciate multiple takes on the same subject matter.