Updated 21st August - Post Plummet!

First things first, I successfully carried out my tandem skydive, and am alive to tell the tale!

A little apprehensive on the plane ride up to 13,000 feet, but once out in the air all fears disappeared - I think they were left screaming in the plane! I'm not the lightest of chaps, and neither was my instructor so as soon as we exited the plane we were certainly motoring towards the ground. Our camera man attested that we were the fastest tandem jump that he had filmed in the 8-900 jumps he'd covered - what an acchievement!

Back safely on the ground, I had a totally different set of emotions coursing through me - that was AWESOME!

I huge thank you to everyone who kindly sponsored me. With your wonderful generosity , I have been able to raise over £1300 in memory of a beautiful little girl, and the best thing is, I wasn't injured in the process.

Attached is a not so flattering photo of me at around 9,000 feet having a blast (you try sticking your head out of a car window whilst travelling at 150 mph and see how good looking you are!) - just to prove I did it!

 

 

 

 

Updated on Jul 26th 2012 at 10:12 AM from the JustGiving API

Training for the jump is ongoing. although falling out of a plane isn't all that difficult, I still need to weigh less than 15 stone. To achieve this I've cut out all bad food, and hit the gym hard. 30 minutes on the cross trainer, 15 minute abs blaster class and 60 minutes of spinning on Tuesday with another gym session tonight. After raising this much so fat, I don't want SkyDive Swansea to tell me I'm too heavy to jump!

Updated on Jul 26th 2012 at 10:08 AM from the JustGiving API

WOW! a huge thank you to all who have sponsored me already, especially to Kamran and everyone else at JX Nippon Oil. Because of you, I've had to increase my target! Thank you so much for your kind support.

On the 18th August 2012, I will be throwing myself out of a perfectly functioning aircraft to hurtle towards the ground at terminal velocity. This is not a decision I have lightly taken - First, I have to loose weight to be able to do it (apparently heavier people make a much larger crater on impact). Second, I have to get over my illogical apprehension to getting out of an aircraft before it has come to a complete standstill. Don't think for a minute that I have a fear of heights or falling. Not at all, it's the sudden and abrupt stop at the bottom that worries me!

Why am I doing this then, if I think it's such a daft idea? Well, I am raising money in remembrance of a beautiful little girl, Katie Peach.

Up until the 7th of December 2011, Katie was a normal happy 3 year old with her whole life in front of her, then after being a little tired and having a slightly raised temperature she went to bed. 

The following morning her family's lives would be changed forever, Katie was taken to A & E with a bruise on her eyebrow and an hour later her family was informed that Katie had a meningococcal infection and slipped into unconsciousness. 8:45am on the 8th of December was the last time Katie's family saw her awake.

Despite the magnificent efforts of the staff at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham, on December 20th 2011 Katie lost her fight for life.

I am raising funds for the amazing staff at the PICU at Queens Medical Centre, so another family may not have to go through what Katie's family have,  whether it be through meningococcal septicaemia or any other serious illness.  The money will help towards purchasing much needed extra equipment for a ward that treats so many very critically ill children.

So please dig deep and donate now - every little helps!