I should probably start this by sharing where this crazy idea of throwing myself out of an airplane came from and how I ended up jumping for CRY.
I guess that, if I’m honest, a tandem skydive has always been on my ‘bucket list’, mix that with the impulsiveness of my ADHD and what do you know? This very quickly went from ‘bucket list’ to booked.
It was an easy decision to jump for charity, but why did I choose CRY?
In October 2009 my older sister Kelsey sadly lost her life just moments before she was due to perform in a dance show. She was only 17, had just started college and had her whole life ahead of her. She was so beautiful and such a special person, full of life and made everybody laugh and smile. People loved to be around her. Kelsey died suddenly and without any warning due to a rare heart defect called Ebstein anomaly.
Unfortunately, the story behind my decision to skydive for CRY doesn’t stop there. Fast forward to February 2016, I had just returned home from football training and was chatting to my little brother Zac, while I was waiting for the bath to run. Little did I know this would be the last time I would speak to him alive. My baby brother, just 11 years old, gone just like that, so suddenly and again, with no warning. Zac was such a beautiful boy, kind, caring and funny, the most happy go lucky little (giant) man you could meet. Zac had a heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome which was the cause of his death.
The two heart conditions were not previously thought to be linked or hereditary. Although, it is now reported to be becoming more and more common that if one sibling has one of these heart defects/conditions, that another sibling has the other.
I decided that I wanted to raise money for CRY to raise money in my siblings memory to support research for conditions such as Ebstein anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
I have been so overwhelmed with the support and generosity from others, I originally I set up a JustGiving page with a target of £500 (feeling very optimistic about this goal) and I eventually raised almost £3000 in total.
On 21st April I completed my skydive, this was the best thing I have ever experienced.
Sitting on the edge of the plane without an ounce of fear as with each heartbeat, I felt a surge of determination to honor my sibling’s memory and support others through this charity skydive.
The jump itself? I guess there is just something about jumping out of a plane and free falling at 120mph that doesn’t quite compare to anything else you could ever do.
The rush of adrenaline is indescribable as you fall through the clouds amongst the fresh (but very cold) air around you while taking in the incredible views as you fall.
My instructor Chris allowed me to steer when the parachute opened and we spent a couple of minutes zipping about the sky before touching down softly on the ground below.
I knew that this skydive had been more than just an impulsive decision turned into a daring feat of bravery; it had been a tribute to my siblings, a love that would never fade. Something I am incredibly proud of doing in their memory. This one was for two, my big sister and little bro.
Ashley Taylor