Engagement: Taking the Plunge

On March 3, 2016, I proposed to Rejoice Binta Abbas, a Cameroonian whom I met in Yaounde, Cameroon on January 23, 2015.

Rejoice and Francis Tapon before the plunge

I proposed to Rejoice on the Victoria Falls Bridge, which lies in the no-man's land between Zambia and Zimbabwe, overlooking Victoria Falls.

Francis Tapon proposes to Rejoice Binta Abbas

I asked her if she "wanted to take the plunge" and join me on a lifetime of adventure.

Watch this video to see what happened after that:

She said, "Yes."

Rejoice says yes

To set the tone for our future and get us off on the right foot, I pulled her over the edge with me and we experienced a free fall of over 100 meters (330 ft).

First step off of a bungee swing on Victoria Falls

I hadn't told her what we were doing.

Freefall is 100 meters on Victoria Falls Swing

She had seen people doing a zip line and thought that a cord would materialize right below us when we stepped off the edge.

The Swing Kicks In

So as we fell down toward the Zambezi River below, she thought something had gone horribly wrong!

Swinging over the Zambezi River in Victoria Falls

Then, at last second, the swing transferred our momentum and we swung like a pendulum over the Zambezi River with the spray of the Victoria Falls covering our smiling faces.