CAROL HALTS FLYING ADVENTURE FOR MUM
PILOT and TV presenter Carol Vorderman has postponed her plans to fly solo around the world so she can care for her 88-year-old mum Jean who has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Carol has been working hard to prepare for the solo flight challenge, which is also being filmed for a TV documentary, but she’s taken the decision to spend precious time with her mum Jean, whom she revealed on Mother’s Day has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The news is a massive blow to Carol, who is very close to her mum.
She said: “It’s with huge sadness that my team and I have to inform you we have to postpone my global solo fight. My beloved mum Jean has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Mum and I come as a team, we have lived together all my life. My focus now will be making precious memories with her.
“I want to give her a glorious sunset. She brought me up to reach for the stars – so believe me, the skies aren’t going to beat me. I will complete this global solo flight. Circumstances are just not on my side to achieve this epic challenge this year. The journey continues...”
Carol’s biggest childhood dream was to be a pilot and she was planning to circumnavigate the globe and was due to stop in about 30 countries.
She previously said: “I always wanted to fly and I have to have a target, I have the lowest boredom threshold. I get told off by instructors because I’m always pressing buttons – ‘Carol, just leave it, everything’s perfect.’”
She also previously added: “It’s almost like going back to your 20s, so all the dreams I had then, I’m now doing; wearing my lovely uniform and being part of the RAF with the air cadets and flying. I work a lot with Nasa. I’m living my dream, but it’s a dream I couldn’t have had in my 20s because I didn’t have the imagination to think that was even possible.”
Carol revealed the news of her mum’s terminal cancer diagnosis on Twitter where she wrote: “A precious Mother’s Day x This wk Mum & I found out she has terminal cancer. She’s 88, beautiful inside and out & I love her beyond measure x.”