A 52-year-old man will be jumping out of an aeroplane from 10,000 feet in April – to celebrate his wife being five years in remission from cancer.
Paul Tinsley, from Bridlington, will be just one of many thrill-seekers from across Yorkshire and beyond taking part in York Racecourse’s Jump of Their Lives charity skydive in support of Macmillan Cancer Support.
“This is, 100 per cent, a celebration of my wife being five years in remission,” said Paul, who lives just minutes from where this year’s jump will take place, at Bridlington Airfield.
“It is actually something I’ve always looked at doing but never got round to it.
“This kind of gave me a reason to do it. I would have probably never, ever done a skydive had I not seen the post for Jump of Their Lives.
“I’m looking forward to giving it a go and doing something good at the same time by raising some money.”
York Racecourse, in partnership with Macmillan, have raised more than £9.5 million for people living with cancer over the course of 50 years.
‘Jump of Their Lives’ provides a unique way for people to enjoy an adrenaline-fuelled day of fundraising, with participants also welcomed to Macmillan Charity Raceday at York Racecourse as VIP guests on Saturday June 17.
York Racecourse chief excecutive William Derby said: “Jump of Their Lives is a fantastic and exciting fixture in York Racecourse’s calendar as part of our partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support.
“It provides a fun-filled opportunity for people across the region to partake in an exciting and breathtaking event whilst raising important funds for local people living with cancer.
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming Paul and all other jumpers to our charity raceday for some well-deserved VIP treatment when their feet are back on the ground!”
Paul and fellow jumpers will reach speeds of up to 125mph as they jump from around 10,000ft.
He said: “I saw the jump pop up on Facebook and it peaked my interest because my wife had breast cancer, so we went through that not so long back and my uncle died of prostate cancer as well.
“I just thought it was something I’d like to get involved with really and wanted to do something.
“It was Macmillan and the nurses we spoke to quite a lot when my wife was going through breast cancer. They gave us quite a bit of support there so that appealed to me straight away.”
Paul’s wife, Christine, was treated at Castle Hill in Hull and recently attended an appointment which confirmed she has been in remission for five years.
Paul said: “She has just literally – and this is why it peaked my interest – we’ve literally just had her five-year appointment for being in remission. So that coincided with me seeing the post on Facebook.
“We received practical, emotional support and just advice. I think we had some financial support too. It was all kinds of things and it was nice to have someone to lean on at the time. You don’t really realise just what Macmillan offers until you need them.”
Fellow thrill-seekers across Yorkshire and beyond can still apply to take part in the charity skydive which takes place on Saturday April 29, 2023.
To take part, applicants must pledge to raise a minimum of £1,500 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Full details and an application form can be found on the York Racecourse website here.
Anyone in need of cancer support for themselves or a loved one can call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, which is open 7 days a week, 8am-8pm, or visit community.macmillan.org.uk/
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