 I'm joined by Cintra C.C. Mazeek, Army paratrooper, disabled veteran, DAV member, freedom award winner at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic and the Paralympian. And to that list of accolades she recently added disability ambassador for inclusion in space travel. She joined 11 other disabled participants in a zero gravity flight at 32,000 feet as part of the Astro Access Initiative that involves scientists and engineers with experiences in places that you might have heard of like NASA and SpaceX. The flight was the first in a series of experiments aimed at understanding how spacesuits and space vessels can be made more accessible. C.C. Thank you for joining me. It sounds like a thrilling adventure. And it sounds like it was just a good time but it was more than just a good time right it was a very in depth project that took place it started months ago alright. Absolutely absolutely first of all thank you for having me. And thank you for allowing me to take this flight once in a lifetime ordeal for me. Yeah, it started months ago at MIT, where a bunch of scientists and students were coming up with futuristic things that we could do to make space accessible for the disabled. It was like a big project a huge project to make you know I think about space and I think about infinity right to make space accessible what were some of the things that that the group that you as a group looked at all 12 ambassadors you guys met virtually. You talked with through things with the scientists they were asking you questions about your experiences. How what are some ways that space can become more accessible. Well, I know for number one, we have to do the retrofitting of the aircraft, especially for the deaf, the blind. We do and that's what some of the things at MIT that we were discussing like beacon noises so they can know where to be and just different things like that you know that we bring storm on in even our flight suits and we can have something that's retrofitted in our flight suits to have them different for the different disability group, so they can know where they are. So they can be oriented on the aircraft and the thing is about astro access as well to we want to be independent. So the more we take these flights, and the more we have retrofitted things on the aircraft to get us acclimated, then the more independent we will be during the flight. We're talking about the flight to tell me about it I you know all I understand is that the nickname of this aircraft or at least in some circles is called the vomit comment. It goes, you know you're essentially going up and down up and down 32,000 feet I'll know that's the bottom of the top, but, and it simulates grab no gravity right. Yes, what's that like. I was going to say we did 15 parabolas, and that's when you go up and down. To me it went by too quickly, two to three minutes at zero G floating in the air and trying to perform different activities, because different disability groups have a different type of. I guess activity that we had to perform, basically. And so we would do that, and it was just amazing. I really didn't perform all of my tasks. I kind of was trying to get myself in control because I don't know if I'm a controlling person or what because I wanted to do everything correct. I wanted to show them to my skills on the aircraft, even though I've never float light as a feather, but I just wanted to show them that I had some control, which I did have a little bit control. And I have, of course, more flight time than the 12 combat the 12 ambassadors because of me being a paratrooper and things like that, but it's hard. I'm going to say that it's hard being weightlessness, and you're floating. I did several like backflips and things like that and I had to stop I said let me stop before I get sick. You know I have to show improve I have to show up the 82nd airborne in the disabled vets like I will not puke, I will not puke I will get not get nauseous. No. Not the Vama comment for not the Vama comment for me. No, no. So 12 paralysis is is well 15 we did 15 up and down. And you know what the thing is. I don't know if people understand this. Of course you know you're floating. But when you're not floating what do you think is happening when you're not floating. We're going to ask me questions I'm not there for the CC. Tell me what happens when you're not floating. Basically we had yoga mats for every single ambassadors, and we were section off in the plane, we had the blind. We have the death that we had the mobility which I fell into the mobility. All of us had yoga mats. So, the thing was, when we were not floating. And we were down. They wanted us to reach that yoga mat. And when we reached that yoga mat is kind of like we're stuck to it. I've never witnessed the. It's a, like a fair ride, the gravatron when you're just going around and you're stuck to the pad. That's how we were. It was like when you go from zero gravity to super. Absolutely and I tried to like lift my head up and try to do a push up and try to be strong about it was not happening was not happening. That's amazing. I have to ask because you didn't mention the paratrooper and I mentioned in your intro. Were you, I mean, I can imagine it sounds thrilling what you did. But thrilling to me is, you know, I go on a little bit of turbulence on a jet aircraft and I'm panicking and praying. Were you afraid at all. I was not afraid. The thing I was shocked that I was not afraid. You know, Rob, I am. I had more butterflies in my stomach. When I used to jump out of airplanes. When I was about to jump. I had butterflies out the Yang Yang, but this right here. I had none whatsoever. Not a one I was even dozen off on the flight. It sounds like a movie where someone gets dropped into combat and they're sleeping. That's how relaxed you were. But it was the best experience ever I would do it over and over and over again. I really want. And I believe. I believe in this, this company Astro access. I am so proud of the things that they're doing in reference to making space for everyone. I just love that, and including the disability group, because we have so many disabled individuals that are interested in going to space and taking parabolic flights that they have been turned down because of their disability. So this company right here is to show and prove that we are and we need to be included. And I'm so proud of the work that they're doing to show and prove that we can do anything that we put our mind to. Now he's getting ready to ask you what you wanted your fellow disabled veterans to take away from this experience but it sounded like you just told me you. You want to prove right. Yes. Yes, we can do anything we put our minds to. And this with this opportunity, I see for myself, I'm more interested in space. I'm interested in going to space. This is something that I have added that I've never imagined that would happen. I would sit on my back porch and look at the stars and, you know, just wonder what's up there, and now we're taking this flight. I really want to go up there to see I want to experience out of earth, a sub orbital flight in an orbital flight. I do I want to experience that I want to see how it looks. I want to see how it feels so I can come back and share and every disabled individual, we can do this. If we have our supporters. If we believe in ourselves and keep doing the research. I have a feeling one of these days I'm going to be sitting on another one of these zoom calls with you, talking to you after you've got done actually flying in space. Just, just sounds tremendous you're, as always, a tremendous spirit inspirational human being on a great ambassador for DAV. Thank you so much for having the courage and the bravery to get up there and do what a lot of people wouldn't on the vomit comment. And thank you for taking the time to join me today. Thank you so much for having me thank DAV for all you do for me I really appreciate it.