‘THERE’S ADVENTURE INSIDE ALL OF US’
Stepping out of your comfort zone can transform how you feel about life and about yourself, too, as these three brave readers discovered Angela Fraser, 63, from Solihull, West Midlands, felt something was missing from her life, so she took on a terrifying
Three women celebrate the power of taking on a challenge
‘Wing walking looked exciting, dangerous and glamorous’
I’m not a fan of scary fun fair rides, and I like to be in control of my life, so I shocked myself when I signed up to be strapped to the top of an aeroplane and flown over the Cotswolds countryside. But looking back, it was quite a logical decision.
In my head, I’ve always felt about 28 years old – bold, brave and invincible. But when I was 59,
I was jolted into reality by a breast cancer diagnosis. After going through surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in 2017, although
I was very happy to be alive, I suddenly felt old. It was as if I’d disappeared and become out of control and rudderless.
MY NEW NORMAL
Added to this, taking medication with quite heavy side-effects meant I felt lost for a while, and I was determined to get back to how I had been before. It took me time to understand that this was fruitless and, slowly, I began to accept that, once you’ve had cancer, you’re never quite the same again. I needed to find my new normal.
A hip replacement in 2019 gave me a new lease of life, physically at least. Then the first lockdown hit and, as it did
for everyone, my world felt even smaller. I still knew I was looking for something different, but I wasn’t sure what.
Then a friend sent me an email about wing walking and, although they had no plans to join me, I found myself saying, ‘Yes!’ It looked exciting, daring and even a bit glamorous, which were the things that were missing in my life. It also meant I could raise money for a cause close to my heart, the Royal Air Forces Association. The two years my dad, Colin, had spent in the RAF at the end of the Second World War had been life-defining for him. During the lockdowns, all those years later, and six years after my dad died, the association supported my mum, Marjorie, 99, through its befriending service. The wing walk was a chance to show our appreciation.
I know my dad was watching over me and cheering me on in May this year, as
I was strapped on to a Boeing-stearman biplane in a reassuringly sturdy harness. I was dry-mouthed as we bumped across the grass before take-off, but then the tremendous roar of the plane’s engine filled me with pure excitement and, as we lifted into the sky on a perfect blue-sky day, I was filled with a phenomenal surge of overwhelming joy. With the patchwork of stunning countryside beneath me, I waved and smiled through the entire flight as the pilot gently did more aerial manoeuvres until I wasn’t quite sure which way was up! It was exhilarating and liberating, and I have to pinch myself to remind myself that I actually did it.
STEPPING FORWARD
Through that 15-minute experience, I made a major step forward in ‘Finding Angela’. I showed myself that not only can I step outside my comfort zone in dramatic style, but that I can also do some good for others; by doing the wing walk, I raised more than £1,000 for the RAF Association.
It’s often easy to not challenge ourselves, whether that’s changing jobs or trying stand-up comedy (which I’d also love to have a go at!). Taking that first step back outside my own diminishing comfort zone was the key to reawakening and reminding myself what I am capable of. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat!
The wing walk reminded me what I was capable of