Ben's skydiving experience
Published Date: 18 Jul 2024
Ben Cowling recently did a skydive to raise funds to help us support deaf children and their families. He tells us about his experience.
"I was born with profound hearing loss in both of my ears and needed to wear hearing aids from a young age. The National Deaf Children's Society provided much-needed support for myself and my family and helped to ensure that I was integrated into a mainstream school.
"I've just finished my undergraduate law degree while working full-time as a paralegal for a large law firm in my region. In a moment of reflection, I thought that none of that would have been possible without the initial support received from the National Deaf Children's Society.
"As such, I wanted to give back and raise money for the charity, and raise awareness for them. I chose to do a skydive at Hibaldstow Skydiving, which was a tandem jump at 15,000 feet!
"I don’t think people could quite believe I was doing the jump when I told them, and I received a range of responses. Some people admired the bravery, and others were too scared to even talk about it!
"I did my jump on 11 May and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The whole journey, from arriving at the centre, having my safety briefing, and then the 'taxi' ride up to the right altitude before falling out of the plane, was something I’ll be proud of myself for doing for a long time.
"Maybe in time I’ll do another jump, but for the time being, I’ll sit back and keep my feet firmly on the ground! All in all, I managed to raise £1,425, which is truly phenomenal."
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Thanks to incredible supporters like Ben, we can fund valuable services for deaf children and their families.
Feeling inspired? You could take on a thrilling challenge too!