I've wanted to do a tandem skydive for the last 25 years and never quite got round to booking it with no real reason as to why not.

Having lost Dad to both Vascular Dementia and Alzheimers on Fathers Day 2022 and my wonderful Nan to this disease back in 2012, I decided it was perhaps time to start fundraising to help others, whilst also achieving a goal of my own. I've realised its easy to postpone and opt out of things and both time and life can quickly be taken away from us - losing Dad hit home and taught me that. So copying a friends 40th birthday idea I decided I would create a list of things I wanted to achieve before reaching 50 - so I have written my 50 at 50 list which includes a wide mix of ideas and skydiving had to be one of them.

I've read Susan Jeffers book 'Feel the fear and do it anyway' and with all the sayings like 'Carpe Diem' it now seems the perfect time and just regret that I didn't do this when Dad could have watched and laughed, but hopefully the fundraising will help other families in their time of need.

So I've booked this date which is between what would have been Dad's 86th and Nan's 105th birthdays . Dad was in the RAF for a short period (although he did play football the majority of time) so the skydive has a link and with Alzheimers as the benefitting charity my personal challenge seems appropriate. Planes, 1 of my 50 Goals (not the footie kind though Dad) and a deserving Charity!!!

Woohoo - how exciting.....

Samantha Bragg