CQ Rescue flight paramedic Carlie Whiteley talks feeling ‘invincible’ on International Women’s Day
A flight paramedic says she has landed the coolest job in the world down under after facing some hair-raising, anxiety-inducing missions overseas.
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Nepal’s Lukla Airport is home to the one of the world’s most dangerous airstrips, but one Australian woman has conquered her fears to come away feeling “invincible”.
Mackay paramedic Carlie Whiteley used to experience “really bad anxiety” in commercial planes. That was until she faced a flight to Mt Everest Base Camp.
“If you look at a picture of the runway there’s a cliff, so if you don’t take off in time you die and if you don’t brake in time you die,” Ms Whiteley said with a laugh.
It was directly after that flight she received an offer to become a CQ Rescue flight paramedic in Mackay.
“So I was like I honestly think I can do whatever I want now, because I’m invincible,” Ms Whiteley said.
“I said yeah I’ll go do that job (and) I just thought this was like the pinnacle of my career.
“And now I’m weirdly not scared.”
Speaking at Mackay Airport’s morning tea on Monday celebrating this year’s International Women’s Day, as well as Women of Aviation Week, Ms Whiteley said she still sometimes “can’t believe (she has) the coolest job in the world”.
As a highly competitive position, she said flight paramedics have to train for an extra 12 months on top of the several years dedicated to regular paramedic training.
Ms Whiteley said there were a range of things complicating airborne emergency care that must be considered by flight paramedics, from internal air pressure to just being able to communicate.
“It’s so loud and we all wear hearing protection, so we have to be exceptionally good at charades,” she said.
“Especially with kids (for whom) we also have little plush helicopters.”
Reflecting on the event’s mission of gender equality, she said it was important women received equal opportunities to men to “get where they want to be”.
“And I genuinely think that the Queensland Ambulance Service has done that, at least in my career (as) I don’t know about historically,” Ms Whiteley said.
“I believe we’ve got a 60/40 split towards females in (QAS and) the main way they do that is probably to do with flexible workplace arrangements (in being) able to fit around family life and other commitments.
“It really helps having good female role models (who have) definitely been an inspiration to me.
“I’ve definitely been supported to do the things that I wanted to do throughout my career.
“Gender doesn’t really matter in today’s society.”
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