An 83-year-old Peckham resident is going skydiving to raise money for a local charity that provides support for the elderly, writes Jessica Aszkenasy…
Nora Higgins, who is originally from County Galway in Ireland, will jump from two miles above ground this Saturday over Netheravon Airfield near Salisbury.
Higgins has two children and has lived in Peckham since 1984.
She was a secretary at Cherry Garden School in Bermondsey for 26 years and is no stranger to intense outdoor sports.
“I did the abseil for King’s College Hospital two years ago. Last year I was talking to my son about skydiving and he said it was a great experience, so it’s been in my head since,” Higgins told the News.
“I’m excited about it, I’m not afraid. Most people’s reaction is amazement, I think they think I’m mad.
“Our aim to help our members have comfortable last years of life and for them to be able to stay in their own homes.
“Every penny raised is going to the charity,” she said.
She is doing the tandem dive with friend Ailbhe Mullen to raise money for the Southwark Irish Pensioners Project.
“I met Nora through the Irish Embassy in London we just hit it off. It was fate, no one wanted to do it with her, then I popped along and we get along very well,” Mullen told the News.
“I still can’t believe I’m doing it. It’s very quick, the adrenaline probably is fantastic. It’s something of a lifetime and it’s great to be able to do it for a charity,” she said.
To donate to the project visit www.donate.bt.com/fundraisers/skydiving.