Ever seen one of those TV shows or videos where people perform incredible feats of strength or intellect using either their heavily trained bodies or uber-unique minds? Prepare to meet someone who defines what it means to be extraordinary.

Introducing Manuela Jungo, professional Kitesurfer and Wing Foiler with a knack for extreme adventure. She is also an OnChainMonkey holder who proudly displays her monkey wherever she goes, including on the water.

Manuela is one of those special people who exude confidence, kindness, and insane skill as she swiftly navigates the waters of not only her professional life, but her personal life as well as a supportive partner and nurturing mother.

On-camera video conversation with Manuela Jungo:

Manuela’s adventurous background

(Some text used below from Manuela’s official DAO application)

Manuela was born and raised in Switzerland. Since an early age, she has been incredibly passionate about the outdoors and sport. Growing up she followed a strong academic upbringing through higher education which led her to becoming a brand manager for a Swiss watch company.

Always wanting to explore life’s possibilities around her, and with a hunger for travel, she started kitesurfing in 2006 in the Dominican Republic. Putting as much time as she could to improve her riding whilst still studying and working, she decided in 2010 to take a break from work and focus more on kitesurfing.

Her goal is to show how important it is to have a passion and to believe in yourself. She also hopes that she can inspire people by telling her stories to work hard and live their dreams.

Manuela became the mother of Kona in 2019 and took a little break from competing. In 2022 she attended two GWA World Tour events in Tarifa and Silvaplana. Wing foiling is Manuela's main focus for 2023, intending to compete against the best athletes in the world during the World Tour in the disciplines of Freestyle and Race. Another goal is to qualify to join the ANOC World Beach.

Wing Foiling and Kitesurfing

Wing foiling is one of the fastest growing water sports now and Manuela Jungo is one of the top female athletes, riding for Duotone and Fanatic. She joined the two GWA World tour events this year, where she finished 5th in both events and is planning to join most of the GWA World Tour events in 2023.

Kitesurfing is Manuela’s passion as she continues to dive even deeper into the sport. First, she successfully competed in the PKRA Freestyle World Tour for 3 years. After the tour was unfortunately interrupted for a few years, she reoriented herself and rode more in the wake parks and kite parks.

Manuela also enjoys riding in the snow as she grew up skiing and snowboarding in the Swiss Mountains. She already successfully finished one of the hardest snow kite races called the Red Bull Ragnarök, where she finished 3rd.

OnChainMonkey Experience

Manuela met Bill Tai, Chairman of Metagood and ACTAI Ventures, at an event in Norway. He invited Manuela and a friend on an ACTAI trip to Iceland a year later. Amanda Terry, co-founder of OnChainMonkey and managing partner at ACTAI Ventures, came to the ACTAI event in Switzerland in 2022 where she spoke on stage about OnChainMonkey. Manuela had zero Web3 experience before meeting Bill and Amanda yet was introduced to the OCM 10k collection during that time in Switzerland.

Manuela applied for a grant through the OCM Small Grants Committee after asking Amanda for support from the community. Amanda directed her to the SGC where she sent in her application which was approved for a small grant.

The grant now allows Manuela to cover travel/equipment costs and also join international competitions as she displays her Genesis OCM on her foil and kite while competing in addition to other promotion.

The OCM !RISE values are extremely important to Manuela as she strives towards setting a good example for her son, leaving every place she visits with a positive impact. She wants to show that it is possible to perform well in sports as a mother, it just takes a bit more organization, dedication, and support from people that believe in her and her mission.

What’s next?

Manuela’s upcoming goal is to qualify for Beach Games, an Olympic movement occurring on May 31st, 2023. She desires to qualify and join the Swiss team for the beach games being played in Bali.

Keep up with Manuela’s journey by following her on her Instagram as she shares her incredible sport experiences on video with the world.

Thank you for reading and, as always…

Keep your eyes… on the !RISE