ON THE COVER Terrifying And
Amazing! Wing-walking for charity
As I make sure I’m strapped in and the plane begins to taxi, I can feel my heart thumping in my chest. But I’m not a nervous passenger, safely tucked into the interior of a plane – I’m tethered to the wing of a tiny biplane, goggles on, waiting to do a charity wing-walk!
Together with my business partner, Sara Guiel with whom I run the Mumpreneurs Networking Club, I complete a charity challenge each year. We see it as an opportunity to bond and have a fabulous experience as well as raising money for a good cause.
Each year we choose a different charity – we’ve raised funds for both national causes and local initiatives close to our heart. This year, we chose two local charities
– Kangaroos, who run clubs for children with disabilities, and Safe in Sussex, who support victims of domestic abuse. Between us, Sara and I raised £2,000 worth of sponsorship.
Over the years, we’ve completed a cross country ski marathon, have abseiled down the side of Arundel Castle, and even managed to brave a fire walk. Sara leads the way with her courage and can-do attitude, and inspires me to push my own boundaries. When she suggested a wing-walk in 2019, my heart somersaulted, but I nodded – it felt like the kind of challenge we could rise to.
Unfortunately when we looked into the criteria, my heart sank – I was two stone heavier than the maximum weight of 12 stone 2lb. But with Sara’s encouragement, I started a six month healthy eating plan, and hit the gym twice a week. Being weighed before the wing walk was more nerve-wracking than the event itself in many ways
– I was exactly 12 stone 2lb so made it under the line without an ounce to spare!
My husband Angus wasn’t so keen on the idea when I told him. He’s used to my and Sara’s crazy challenges, but told me that although I had his support he really didn’t want to watch his wife thundering past on the wing of a plane!
However, in the end, he came along in July 2019 to cheer me on with the kids Calan (14) and Fin (11) in tow – and realised it wasn’t as
The challenges that Sara and I have shared have deepened our friendship
scary as he’dd imagined. It was great to see themt – as well as Sara’s husbannd Dave and her children Felixx (16) and Jemima (9) – all there to support us.
On the daay itself, I was one of the first onnes up on the wing. Althouugh that makes me sound fanntastically brave, it was actuallly more to do with the fact that I’d lived on soup and fruiit for the few days leading up to the walk, just to ensuree I hit the requisite weight. I was terrified, but the thought of a cup of tea and a much needed biscuit afterwards was enough to get me leaping on to the wing! Looking back,
I’m grateful to Sara for letting me go first – as the delay must have added to her nerves, but she didn’t let on.
Wing-walking is terrifying and amazing! I experienced an incredible feeling of fear and excitement as the plane bumped along the ground then lifted into the air. Then the adrenaline kicked in and I found myself grinning like a loon! The flight – which reached speeds of 130mph – passed in a blur and wearing earplugs and goggles made things seem quite surreal. But I remember when I was finally back on solid ground that I felt like I’d been hit by a bus! My cheeks hurt for at least two hours afterwards as a result of the G-force. And it was only when I’d staggered to a chair and sipped a very welcome cup of tea that the euphoria set in.
Doing my wing-walk at the beginning was a great decision – I could watch the others complete the challenge safe in the knowledge that it wouldn’t be me next! There were 16 of us there on the day, and I was so proud of each and every participant.
Watching Sara’s flight was amazing but almost more nerve-wracking than completing the challenge myself. Sitting back and watching her take to the skies was surreal… had I really just been up on the wing of a plane like that, secured with buckles and Velcro? When she too was back on solid ground we hugged like maniacs – a mixture of adrenaline, relief and excitement coursing through our veins.
Taking part in a yearly challenge is a great way of reminding ourselves what we’re capable of – that we can do anything we put our minds to. I’ve no idea what we’ll take on next year, but if we continue to push the boundaries, then the sky’s the limit!
One thing’s for certain, our shared challenges have deepened our friendship and knowing Sara’s got my back makes me feel invincible.