What makes Juleanne and Martin special is the way they love spending time together doing the unconventional.  Describing them as adventurous is too subtle.  Beating the elements and breaking limits sounds more appropriate.

"Martin and I have been together for four years and we met at a climbing competition that took place in Malta in February 2011.  Sport brought us together and helped us to build this relationship into a stronger and adventurous experience," says Juleanne.

Ever since meeting, they sought out sporting activities that provide the adrenaline rush they both enjoy so much: cycling, running, skiing, scuba diving, kayaking, and even skydiving. 

"We are both athletic so we always seek new adventures and new opportunities together.  We support each other in everything we do and encourage each other," explains Juleanne. True, but are these activities for everyone?

"Extreme activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion, and highly specialised gear or spectacular stunts. You need to be mentally and physically prepared for them," Juleanne says.

That's certainly true of skydiving, a sport that's always fascinated me.  Viewing the world from above must be extraordinary. Martin and Juleanne are frequent skydivers and are now licensed instructors. It all began during a road trip they took together in Australia.

"We were always amazed by skydivers and the idea of flying. While in Australia we went over a drop zone called Ramblers Skydiving in Toogoolawah, Brisbane and opted to take an AFF License Course," Juleanne says. "We spent a whole week taking the course and it was the best experience ever since we discovered a new sport, met great and awesome people and were able to fly."

I have often seen spectacular photos of both of them during one of their skydives and I always joke with Juleanne that I believe they will be taking their wedding vows up there, suspended in air. Juleanne considers skydiving an experience of a lifetime and describes becoming a skydiver instructor as her best achievement in life so far.

"As you take up the course, at first you are scared and excited to jump from an open airplane on your own," she says. "Eventually, with the help of instructors and a few jumps, you gain confidence and overcome fear. As the number of jumps increases, you forget about fear and look forward to the next jump."

Here in Malta they don't have the opportunity to practice their favourite activity so they travel regularly during weekends just to go skydiving. 

Both being Maltese, Juleanne and Martin appreciate the fact that, even though Malta is a small island and the terrain limits exposure to certain extreme activities, there are still opportunities for those who would like to try something adventurous.

"Malta is a bit limited but there are certain sports and activities like rock climbing, scuba diving, water sports, motor sports, paragliding, mountain biking and other things," they say. "There are various clubs which offer courses and events for all to experience."

With tourism being a major economic sector and sport tourism being promoted regularly, Juleanne comments that "we should offer more extreme sports such as skydiving, tandem hang gliding/paragliding and bungee jumping.  They will attract both locals and tourists, bringing in more profit and creating more opportunities."

Our conversation shifts towards their road trip down under, which started from Melbourne where they built their own camper van and set off on the experience of a life time. They were determined to learn a lot while travelling and at the same time work with locals to earn a living.

"We travelled from Melbourne to the Great Ocean Road up to Adelaide, looped back to the Grampians and started our way along the east coast," Juleanne says. "We spent a few weeks working in Sydney and took off again up the Gold Coast in Queensland."

Here, they camped among waves, kangaroos, wombats, breathtaking scenery and also lizards, snakes and spiders. Both Juleanne and Martin were fascinated by the versatility of this amazing continent.

Their last stop in Australia was the Great Barrier Reef where they spent a whole week scuba diving, admiring the wonderful corals which one can only see there. "We also flew over to New Zealand where we treated ourselves to outdoor adventure including white water rafting, kayaking and seal watching in Abel Tasman National Park, trekking over glaciers on Fox Glacier and last but not least skydiving in four different drop zones around the South Island."

In addition to taking to the skies and exploring the oceans, another must for the adventurous pair are the majestic mountains.  "Skiing is an amazing sport and is a great challenge. There are different graded slopes starting from the easiest to more challenging, steeper slopes. It's a sport for all the family and all ages and during the winter months we travel specifically to ski," says Juleanne.

Physical activity helps us keep healthy but many of us find repetitive exercise boring and following an exercise schedule isn't always possible. Engaging in extreme activities can also contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

"You enjoy the nature around you and experience the elements of wind, sun and rain.  You concentrate on what you love doing which gives you peace of mind and relief from the usual routine," Juleanne says, adding that, as a PE teacher, she tries to instil this sense of adventure in her students too.

"Schools should promote outdoor education that gives children the opportunity for adventure, by organising orienteering treks, zip lining, abseiling, trekking and survival skills," she says. She's got a point, and the benefits are social as well as physical.

While preparing this feature and choosing the photos, I could see how being so close to nature, as Juleanne and Martin are during their adventures, can help one appreciate the beauty of nature and remind us to preserve it for coming generations to enjoy.

All said, I can only wish this special couple a fun future together full of activities and adventures that strengthen their mutual relationship and teach us less courageous folk to admire the beauty of nature and the amazing way the human body works.