I'd always wanted to try skydiving, so for my 16th birthday last October I decided to give it a go. I was a bit nervous – it's not a natural thing to do, jumping out of a plane – but once I'd decided to do it for The Lily Foundation, that gave me the motivation I needed to go through with it. I spoke to mum, and we booked it in.
I knew about The Lily Foundation from my friends at school in Warlingham. It's a local charity that does really important work, and I thought if I'm going to jump out of a plane I may as well do it for a good cause.
I spent two or three months fundraising before the jump, and managed to raise about £1000. I would go to my mum's fitness class and ask people to donate any change they had. I set up a GoFundMe web page so people could donate online, and also promoted my jump at our local village fair. My mum was a great help of course, but I did what I could.
The day of the jump I was pretty nervous. You feel alright when you get in the plane, but then you look out the window at 2000 feet up, and you think, what have I got myself into? I shuffled up to the exit and thought right, this is it. And then as soon as I jumped, all the fear and nerves just go, the adrenalin takes over and it's just amazing.
First you're spinning around after you jump out. Then you level out and you're looking around, and suddenly the realisation hits you that you're actually falling through the sky at over 100mph. You're falling through clouds, feeling the humidity and cold air on your skin, it's incredible. When I reached the ground I was laughing and had the biggest smile on my face, I was so happy.
My friends all thought I was nuts to do it, but I'd do it again if I had the chance. It's so much fun, I would 100 percent recommend giving it ago if you're thinking about trying it. It's just an unforgettable experience.
Book your skydive today!
Fancy taking a leap for Lily? Our partner Skyline can organise tandem jumps at locations all around the UK. Why not book your jump and start fundraising today? Minimum fundraising target is £395. Click here to book
