3 minute read
Super Six Skydive: We Did It!
from BSA Today Issue 4
by bsatoday
BSA Today Editor, Brady Braddock, talks about the fantastic skydive supporting Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.
Face your fears, live your dreams: a mantra uttered by many but followed by few. On Sunday 22nd September, six of us from Blue Stream Academy, aka the BSA Super Six, did something extraordinary for an amazing cause. We faced our fears, geared up and ascended into the sky.
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We chose to raise money for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, a charity that cares for children and young adults whose lives are sadly just too short.
The hospice is a home from home for families facing the toughest of times, with a comfy lounge and beautiful gardens. They provide plenty of activities for children, including soft play, arts and crafts, and music therapy. And they’re always cooking up mouthwatering meals and tasty treats for families.
Lewis Cowlishaw getting ready for take-off!
With our charity chosen, my colleague Natalie suggested a skydive as a fundraising idea.
Eyebrows were raised throughout the office, but a select few bravely put their names forward. It’s perfectly natural to feel a bit nervous when you find yourself peering down from a great height.
Now imagine facing that fear head-on and leaping out of a small aircraft with only a parachute and an instructor you met just a few hours earlier as your lifeline.
In the eventful build-up to our skydive, our colleagues and local businesses rallied round to support us to reach our initial fundraising target of £1,200.
We organised a car boot sale, a bake sale and a wonderful charity auction evening at a local restaurant. Matthew Sheridan, Bluebell Wood’s corporate fundraiser, attended the event, which was a nice touch.
Natalie Poyner
On the day of the event we arrived at Skydive Hibaldstow with no preconceived ideas, aside from what we’d found on a few YouTube clips and a quick Google search.
-Emily Lymer
Feelings of excitement and fear of the unknown were etched across our faces. But we embrace challenges here at Blue Stream Academy, however big or small, and this skydive was no different.
Skydive Hibaldstow are the experts in tandem skydiving, charity skydive jumps and skydiving courses in the UK. The dropzone offers stress-free skydiving for first timers. So our fears were quickly put to rest by their highly trained staff, who were friendly, professional and informative.
We were shown an instructional video, given a safety talk and then asked if we had any questions. Then it was time for an interview. After a quick hug from our family and friends, we met our tandem instructors, got suited up and headed towards the plane.
Our instructors performed numerous safety checks as the aircraft taxied down the runway. It took us roughly fifteen minutes to reach an altitude of 15,000 feet, almost three miles up in the air.
All of a sudden, the instructor sitting at the front of the plane opened the door to reveal the clouds. The view was simply wonderful.
The freefall was incredible; we reached speeds of over 120mph before the parachute opened and things suddenly became a lot calmer.
Lewis Cowlishaw
As you glide through the sky absorbing the breath-taking views of the beautiful English countryside, you truly appreciate how amazing skydiving is. After a few minutes, we approached the airfield for our landing. We were told to lift our legs as high as possible as we glided towards the safety of Mother Earth.
Skydiving is such a special activity – it really is the perfect way to build team spirit and lifelong friendships. We all agreed how much we had enjoyed it and how proud we were to be part of such a worthwhile achievement.
-Courteney Barlow-Ferguson
The Super Six! (L to R) Courteney, Natalie, Brady, Emily, Lewis and John
