In May 2006 I decided to give my my legs a rest from from charity runs - something I really didn't think my heart was is going to thank me for! - Yes - I took the plunge and jumped out of a plane at 13,000ft - free falling to 5,000ft! All in aid of the Fund for Epilepsy. It was FANTASTIC! I laughed and smiled all the way down! What an experience!
Once we signed in we were put into jump groups - I was pleased to have my 2 friends, Amy and Sarah with me on the same flight! The three of us were totally relaxed after the briefing - having heard that the tandem instructors had all done over 2000 jumps - phew! In their words "we are here looking ugly - just to make you look good"
Their sense of humor and reassurance was all we needed to feel totally relaxed and at ease. Then came the good news (I think) perfect weather conditions meant we would exit from 13,000ft - well whats an extra 3,000ft when you are up there?
Our jump was called and we met our instructors - I was lucky enough to have the owner of the centre, Mike. We walked over to the aircraft (very small) in true Top Gun fashion.
Mike talked me through the exit and the landing on the way up - oh and some gerneral chit chat and friendly banter with the others as well! At 9,000ft hats and goggles went on and we were tightly secured to our instructors. The doors were then opened and we were shuffled to the edge - out we went one after the other.
We were freefalling at 125mph. 45 seconds later the parachute was pulled and we floated down over the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. I steered us down to safety - with a few spins and turns. A perfect landing (leaving skid marks in the grass) and I was buzzing for the rest of the weekend.
What was even more exhilarating than the jump was the fact that I raised £1,100 for the Fund for Epilepsy, a charity working to find the "causes and cures" for this much neglected and underfunded condition.
I have a close connection with Epilepsy as my lil' sis, Chloe, is not only severely disabled, but when she was 10 she developed Epilepsy. Luckily her seizures are very much controlled and she has been seizure free for a number of years. But I have seen first hand what impact Epilepsy can have on not only the person with the condition but their family and friends also.
For many people and especially the very young, Epilepsy is a debilitating and life altering condition. Sadly, each year over 1000 people in the UK, will die as a result of their Epilepsy.
The Fund for Epilepsy merged in 2007 with the Epilepsy Research Foundation to form Epilepsy Research UK. Epilepsy Research UK promotes and supports basic and clinical scientific research into the causes, treatment and prevention of epilepsy. They are the only national charity in the UK dedicated to funding independent research exclusively into epilepsy, the work that they support is vital.
