As you maybe aware Team APT threw themselves out of a plane recently. It was in order to raise money for the Wiltshire Air ambulance, but also to help the team to stretch their expectations of themselves.  I didn’t have to do it, but I thought that they are going to come back full of it and I would like some of that feeling.

During the week up to the event I kept thinking about all the good wishes from people plus the money they had donated, I couldn’t let them down. On the morning of the skydive; I was having second and third thoughts and breakfast wasn’t possible.  I was worried that I would have a heart attack, or freeze once up in the plane and refuse to jump.  Once you are in that tiny plane, the only way you are coming down is to jump out; your instructor isn’t going to let you off the hook! I was worried that I wasn’t flexible enough to lean back enough, I was. Or I wasn’t strong enough to lift my knees up for a safe landing, I was.  Or I’d faint or throw up, I didn’t.  In fact I wasn’t aware of anything other than how amazing it was.  I put my absolute faith in my instructor and he was great, the training and safety briefings were great.  It was a well-oiled machine; I was my instructor’s sixth jump that day.

So what have I learned?

• I am capable of more than I thought.

• I am physically in better shape than I thought.

• That my fears were just fears had no basis in reality.

• That working in a team is great, we all supported each other; 5 of us would do it again, 2 wouldn’t.

• I will challenge myself again; the uncomfortableness is worth it.

• If you do what you have always done, you get what you have always got!

• Give it a go; try being out of your comfort zone, you will reap the benefits.

Take a look at the video.