“I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to do a challenge; I am still trying to convince all my friends and family! I was 52-year-old when I undertook the Skydive and I just want to say to anyone else out there who thinks that they can’t do it at their age, it was such an achievement, no age is too old to make a commitment like this”
Daredevil Richard
Daredevil Fire Commander Richard Dykes took the plunge and did a 13,500ft freefall skydive to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity in August 2013. Not only was Richard helping to celebrate the Charity’s 70th Anniversary but he was also celebrating nearly 30 years of active fire service duty.
“I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to do a challenge; I am still trying to convince all my friends and family!
Richard Dykes
Richard, a Station Commander at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service explained why he decided to do a skydive “I regularly make charitable donations but this time wanted to do something specific. I thought it was really important as you never know when you might need the help of the Charity and so I felt that whilst I was able to contribute it was the perfect time to try something new and raise vital funds for the Charity”
Richard saw an advert for the Skydive celebrating the Charity’s 70th Anniversary “I saw the advert and thought that it just seemed like the right time– I was celebrating my 30 years in the Fire Service and the two together made 100! Actually before I realised I was definitely going to do it I found myself saying to people – I am going to do a Skydive – and then there was no backing out!”
And there wasn’t, after much planning and organising Richard set about fundraising for his jump “Fundraising was made easier by being able to use online fundraising pages and the Supporter Care Team at The Fire Fighters Charity are on hand to help if you need it” In fact Richard raised a fantastic £500!
The skydive itself was, in Richard’s words “Unbelievably fun, like being on the top of a Ferris wheel and just about to go over the top, for that moment you feel weightless and then you enjoy the thrill all the way down. The instructor was great at reassuring me, although we sat on the edge of the plane and counted to three but actually jumped on 2! Then you are tumbling through the air, seeing sky, land, sky, land. But it is just the most amazing experience, the views are spectacular. I was so lucky as it was a clear sunny day”
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