Birthday with a difference
A woman from Denmead has marked the anniversary of her father’s death – and her 50th birthday – by jumping out of a plane for charity.
Lynne Davies raised more than £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) by completing a tandem skydive from 15,000 feet.
She took on the daredevil feat to remember her father, Neil Westgarth. He died, aged just 50, after suffering a heart attack on May 5, 1996 - the date of Lynne’s 23rd birthday.
‘Dad was such an inspiration to me,’ said Lynne. ‘His motto was to seize the day and he had an unfailingly optimistic outlook on life. He was always laughing and would do karaoke at any excuse. Losing dad was awful and even though it was a long time ago, those memories are still painful.
‘Every birthday since then has been a reminder of his death. I either try to forget about that date or celebrate on a different day.’
Tired of the unhappy memories that had come to be associated with the date, Lynne decided that radical action was needed ahead of her own landmark birthday.
She said: ‘As I was turning 50 this year, I thought it was time to shock my brain and create a new memory to associate with that date. Jumping out of a plane has always seemed like a terrifying idea to me and an experience I’d never forget.’
The mother-of-three, who works as a professional artist, described her skydive as ‘completely overwhelming’.
She said: ‘The day before my jump the weather was awful, and I thought the skydive would have to be postponed to an irrelevant date. However, the sun came out just in time.
‘I reached my fundraising target just as I was about to board the plane. I was buzzing and knew this would be such a completely different birthday.
‘When we reached 15,000 feet I was struck by the freezing cold and just how high we were. I put all my trust in my lovely instructor, and we tumbled out of the plane.
‘The view and feeling were completely overwhelming. It was incredibly special and beautiful. My plan worked. I felt genuinely happy on my birthday for the first time in years. I'm sure my dad would be proud.’