A WOMAN has completed a 15,000ft skydive to raise money for charity as part of a bucket list she compiled.

Sarah Singleton, 47, from Worthing, raised over £1,000 for Chestnut Tree House children's hospice.

Sarah, a field staff supervisor at UK Power Networks, suffered from Covid-19 last year and was reminded of how short life is.

"I was gobsmacked by how much it affected me, while my partner and children were fine. I realised life is short so I'm going to lead a healthier life and challenge myself," she said.

She had originally arranged the trip for her son, Samuel, before the pandemic and when she recovered from the virus she decided to join him.

The Argus:

After a three-mile ascent into the sky the plane doors opened and Sarah and Samuel faced a minute's freefall before their parachutes opened and they floated back to earth.

She said: “The journey up felt like an age. Suddenly the door was opened and the temperature dropped.

"My son edged towards the door and in a second was gone, then it was my turn. My feet dangled over the edge and I could see the ground 15,000 feet below.

“Then I was out of the plane, with my instructor, freefalling at 125mph towards the ground. The sensations are intense, it’s truly incredible and all the scary feelings went, it was pure exhilaration.

"In no time at all the parachute opened and we glided safely down towards a beautiful map of fields and towns."

Sarah said she would do it again in a heartbeat and described the dive as the best adventure she has experienced.

UK Power Networks offers up to £100 match funding to support employees with fundraising events.

Sarah added: “I have a soft spot for this charity because children are so innocent and some who are cared for by Chestnut Tree House do not have a long life."

Corporate fundraising manager Alison Taylor said: “We are so grateful to Sarah and Samuel for choosing to fundraise for Chestnut Tree House. The last 18 months have been difficult for us all, but families with children with life-shortening or life-threatening conditions have had their own challenges to face.

"We can only be there for the families who need us thanks to your ongoing generosity and support. The money Sarah and Samuel have raised from this skydive challenge is enough to give a child an overnight stay at Chestnut Tree House.”

Next up on Sarah’s bucket list, once travel restrictions allow, is a reunion with her sister, a police officer on a Caribbean island, and hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru.

To support Sarah’s skydive visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sarah-singleton15

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