AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAWN SPITERI is raising money for Alzheimer's Society
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For more photos of the jump, see my Face Book page
Dawn Spiteri
Ok, so I admit, this isn't everyone's idea of how to spend your summer holiday; but for some reason (call me mad) I've always wanted to throw myself out of a perfectly good aeroplane - I just never got round to it before.
My Dad, who was dianosed with early on-set Alzheimers 7 years ago - at the age of 55, has just had to be moved into residential care for people with dementia as his care is now unfortunately beyond my mum.
Please help me support the Alzheimers Society, so that others can have the same help and support my parents have had and that they can continue their research into this terrible illness
So now you know the why, PLEASE dig deep so I can terrify the living-daylights out of myself AND raise loads of money at the same time. Thanks, Dawn
UPDATE: Friday 13th July
I must say an ENORMOUS 'Thank you' to all the children, parents and staff at Ryefield Primary School who have really taken this cause on board. A non-uniform day was held, organised by the school council (I.e. the kids!) which raised a MASSIVE £416.51
This takes the current fund raising total to £2462.79.
I've changed the site image to a photo of three 'Ryefielders' taken at the event. And yes, Narelle is the spitting image of me as a child: poor girl!
UPDATE 25.08.07
So, how was it? Awesome is the answer!
I had my briefing with my instructor, Shane, who explained how we would exit the plane (backwards) and land (in one piece please!) Next we got very cosy being harnessed together: As we climbed to our jumping height, I honestly felt fine even, though we actually jumped from 12/13,000 feet not the ten thousand feet I’d been told.
It’s when the door opened that I started to feel a little anxious. Tandem jumpers are the last to leave the plane so I watched all the solos and AFF leap, then waddled with my instructor to the door: walking is not easy when you’re strapped together – you look like a pregnant duck. Then it was my turn. The free fall was just phenomenal, plummeting to earth at speeds of between 120-180 MPH. Once we were stable, in a face to earth position and the cameraman had caught up with us, we did all sorts of tricks, spins and turns. Shane deployed the parachute, which felt like being yanked forcibly upwards in your harness. Then the peaceful floating down looking at the scenery bit. Again we did lots of turns and I felt a bit queasy – BUT, I wasn’t actually sick, which is the main point. Apparently, it’s one of the effects of the adrenaline, the tight harness, the altitude and in my case – Shane showing off! In order to land you have to lift your knees to your chest and hold them there with your hands, something which is dead easy on the ground, but not so easy after a sky dive. We landed gently on our backsides and skidded across the dewy grass to a halt and my entourage of family members– nice.
I’d just like to say a HUGE ‘Thank you’ again to supporters for their words of encouragement, wishes of good luck and or course money. If you check this site out again on Friday, I will hopefully have received and uploaded a photo of the dive. Loads of Love Dawn