Sarah Pearson, who is in recovery from alcohol dependency, is skydiving from 15,000ft to raise money for the organisation that helped save her life.
Sarah was helped by Forward Leeds, one of Humankind’s drug and alcohol services. Sarah, who confesses to having a fear of heights, is hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for Humankind by doing the tandem skydive.
She said: “Humankind and Forward Leeds have essentially saved my life – something me and my family will always be grateful for.
“I wanted to challenge myself at the same time as raising money, and for someone who’s scared of heights, jumping from a plane seems like a good way to do that!”
Fifteen thousand feet is the maximum altitude for skydiving without supplementary oxygen. Sarah will be in freefall for a full minute at speeds of up to 120mph.
Sarah continued: “I’m really nervous about the moment we actually jump from the plane. I just need to try and enjoy the journey, no matter how scary it may seem at first.
“It’s a lot like recovery really – knowing that others have gone before you and believing that you can do it too.”
Sarah’s skydive will take place on Sunday 21st July 2019, at the Skydive Academy in Peterlee, Co. Durham. She is inviting donations via her Just Giving page.
Anna Headley, Humankind Executive Director, said: “This is an incredible effort by Sarah and we’re all really proud of her. Sarah’s a great example of what Humankind is all about – helping people to build healthier lives that have meaning and value for themselves and their families.”
Sarah added, “Recovery is showing me that, with the support of others, anything is possible. Two years ago I was barely surviving, scared to even leave the house. Now I’m thriving, and finding the courage to go out into the world and live life to the full.”
