I did it! I jumped out of a plane at 15,000 feet and survived to tell the tale. Not going to lie – it was terrifying! First, we had to wait for a break in the clouds for 4 hours. Four. Hours. That’s enough time to question every life decision that led to this moment.
The pre-jump briefings were very reassuring, though, especially about how much fun the 60 seconds of free fall were going to be. “You will feel weightless,” they said. I imagined floating around and gliding through the sky, admiring the spectacular views.
But reality had other plans. Plunging to the ground at 125 mph – that’s 2 miles in a minute – was like being a human bullet. The forces on my body were incredible. Also, it was freezing. It was so cold that smiling was a supreme effort, and forget making a heart shape with my hands. I tried, but my fingers were having none of it!
Then came the parachute deployment. We were yanked back up into the air, and from that point on, it was bliss. Well, mostly. My instructor thought it would be hilarious to pretend to panic when he handed me the ropes and I let one go. For a split second, I was convinced we were going to die.
But here I am, alive and extremely grateful. A massive thank you to everyone who sponsored me. I’ve raised nearly £5,000 with gift aid, and I really feel like I’ve earned every penny of your generous donations. The Royal Marsden Hospital is incredibly grateful for your support. Thank you again! Xx