Kirsty flies like a bird!
Kirsty Bligdon took part in Jump in June 2006 and has raised £130 for the MS Trust. She describes her experience below...
There I am laying in bed at 4:30am thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Yes it is June 17th and today is the day I am skydiving in aid of multiple sclerosis.
I get to the airfield half an hour early, my stomach feeling like it has never before, a mixture of nerves and excitement. "What if the clips holding me to the instructor fail?" I am assured that these clips can hold the weight of a Land Rover!
Feeling slightly better, I meet my instructor Simon. He comes over with a big friendly smile on his face, shakes my hand and asks me if I've had my last nervous toilet break! He tells me he operates a doctor patient policy and anything that is said stays between us.
As we approach the plane my brain is having an argument, the safe side is telling me not to do it and the adventurous side is saying go for it! My brain is telling me I'm completely mad as I watch the ground & my family disappear. All seems strangely quiet in the plane, no one is talking and I put it down to everyone being as nervous as me.
I sit at the edge of the plane and before I know what's happening I am out. I let out a huge scream as I see the ground beneath me. It looks like a jigsaw with all the fields being green pieces. All I can hear and feel is the wind rushing past me, I am aware that I'm falling but it doesn't feel like I am, it feels like I'm just hanging there. I feel Simon take my hands and put them out in the skydiving position and I fly like a bird!
A heavy tug later I realise the parachute is open, phew I am almost safe! I start to relax and Simon points out the car park, the landing strip and my friend that is doing it with me, I give her a quick wave and give a quick wave to the people below me. It is so peaceful up here, the only noise is a slight breeze against me.
Next thing I know Simon is telling me to bring my knees up ready for the landing, just as I was beginning to enjoy it too! Instinctively I put my feet down and trip both Simon and I up - we end up in a heap on the grass! We stand up and I thank him very much for the best experience of my life. I tell my family I want to repeat the whole thing again and I go home to look into taking up skydiving as a sport!
Kirsty and Simon mid-jump, then landing safely