I took a leap of faith and threw myself out of a plane. An experience that has left me both exhilarated and grateful.

Since my ‘jump,’ I’ve been overwhelmed by the generous donations and messages of support.

A skydive has always been on my bucket list.  The truth is I love seeing things from a different perspective – it can create real energy.

Everyone has different reasons for making the leap. That one experience brought together seven ‘jumpers’, all with different motivations.

A thrill seeker; a nervous dad doing it for his wife; a young Australian couple as part of their travels, a middle-aged woman proving that being 60 is just the start, a young man as part of an Explorers badge, and then there was me. Such different lives, yet bonding over that one moment of dizzy heights, and achievement.

As I boarded the plane, and started the ascent, my mind was racing with nerves and excitement. When we reached 10,000 feet and were nestled amongst the clouds I found a completely different perspective on life. A helicopter view of the ground. My mind cleared. The view was breathtaking.

When it came to my time to make the jump. I thought I would hesitate, but I didn’t. Not for a minute. I felt motivated, empowered, and liberated.

And then we jumped. And wow. Just wow.

In that moment all you can hear is the wind. The world is silent. The exhilaration of free falling, the rush of air and the beauty of the landscape below. For 30 seconds you feel weightless, and then once the parachute is deployed there is gentle control and peace.

And before I knew it, I was back down to earth, but not with a bump. Instead with a feeling of exhilaration and gratitude. The experience sparked new energy.

I love putting myself in different environments, meeting new people and finding out about their life journeys and adventures.

People inspire me. The jump made me realise that when it comes down to it, we can all find the courage to do brave things.

Jane

Jane’s skydive raised money for Bromley Brighter Beginnings (BBB), Successful Mums’ charity of the year 2023. This small, local charity harnesses the power of community to help vulnerable families living in financial hardship across London’s largest borough, Bromley. To make a donation click here.