TWO thrill-seeking Uttoxeter schoolgirls have completed a daredevil 10,000 feet tandem parachute jump for a popular Staffordshire charity.
Friends Catherine Easdon and Stephanie Burns freefell at 120mph from an aeroplane as they raised money for St Giles Hospice.
The two 16-year-old Thomas Alleyne’s High School pupils visited the Hinton Skydiving Centre, in Northamptonshire, where they tackled the daring challenge.
Catherine, who has volunteered at the St Giles Hospice charity shop in The Maltings for the last three years, told the Advertiser the jump was an unforgettable experience.
“It was absolutely amazing,” she said. “I had been looking forward to doing the jump for so long as we had to be 16 to do it and had been talking about doing it for years.
“The freefall was much more disorientating than I expected it to be and my ears were popping loads and it was really hard to breathe but once the parachute opened it was fine and I could really enjoy it.
“I was really excited just before jumping more than anything else. I was expecting to get really nervous but once it was our turn it all went so quickly that I didn’t have time to get nervous.
“Stephanie loved it and the first thing she said to me when we got down was ‘I want to do it again’ and I think she is interested in doing the parachute licence course now.” St Giles Hospice offers specialist care in a variety of settings for patients with cancer and other serious illnesses, as well as providing support for their families and helpers.
Catherine said just working at the St Giles bookshop in Uttoxeter had let her see the importance of what the charity does.
She said: “As I have been volunteering I have begun to appreciate the job they do and I get on well with all the people at the shop so I thought it was time I gave something back.
“I won’t say no to doing a parachute jump again but it is quite expensive to do but I’m glad I did it.
“We’ve raised more than £330 so far and have a target of £500 but I wasn’t expecting to get near that so I’m amazed at how much we have got.” Anyone who would like to sponsor the girls can still do so as there is a form at the St Giles shop in The Maltings or alternatively donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/steph-and-cat
