2 Dec 2024
Yvonne skydives into her 80th in aid of EAAA
When Yvonne Reynolds’ 80th birthday approached, she could think of no better way to celebrate than jumping out of a plane to skydive in aid of East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA).
Yvonne, from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, is no stranger to supporting EAAA as she has previously helped with a bucket collection in her area, has played EAAA’s weekly lottery for many years and says she always enjoys a little flutter with the EAAA raffles. However, it was her milestone birthday that inspired her to take on a bigger challenge by completing a tandem skydive with UK Parachuting in Peterborough.
Yvonne says that she ‘loves a bit of adventure’ and fondly remembers her travels across the world. She has enjoyed flying ever since her first flight when, aged 17, she flew to Jersey in a Dakota, which in those now far-off days, was in commercial service! She loves being ‘up in the air’ and since then has enjoyed the excitement of a trial flying lesson, short flights in a helicopter and a pre-war De Havilland Dragon Rapide, hot air ballooning and even the thrill of a tandem paraglide from the top of a mountain in Rio de Janeiro for her 52nd birthday, so her family were fully supportive of her 80th birthday skydive plans.
She says, “My wonderful family were so good about it as I had wanted to do a jump for a long time. I was really excited and not nervous at all. My tandem was so friendly and calm and put me completely at ease”.
As Yvonne and her instructor jumped out of the plane at 13,000ft (which is around two and a half miles high), she enjoyed sights stretching over Cambridgeshire and beyond. Initially falling at around 120mph for about 40 seconds, the parachute opened when the pair reached around 5,000ft and Yvonne smiled all the way back down to the ground.
“It was absolutely fabulous; I loved every moment. I can see how skydiving easily becomes addictive as it is so exhilarating!”
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Significantly, Yvonne has, inclusive of Gift Aid, raised a life-saving £750.00 in aid of East Anglian Air Ambulance. Something she was happy to do as she has seen EAAA’s Anglia Two (Cambridge) helicopter flying on several occasions and once when the crew attended a medical emergency very close to her home.
One afternoon, I remember hearing a helicopter flying very close. I looked out of my window and saw an East Anglian Air Ambulance flying just above the trees as it looked for a place to land. Unfortunately, someone had been injured in an RTC and was airlifted to hospital. My first thoughts were for the casualty, as something awful must have happened in my little part of the world.”
Freya Williams, Events Delivery and Stewardship Intern at EAAA, says, “EAAA provides treatment and care to around 2,000 people each year. Each tasking costs an average of £4,250, so we are hugely appreciative of Yvonne’s incredible fundraising. A skydive was a brilliant way to mark her milestone birthday. We are glad she has made more happy memories, and we can’t thank her enough for choosing to help save the lives of others.”
And now Yvonne wants to do even more.
“A wing walk is definitely on my bucket list, and I am keen to take part in the shorter distance of EAAA’s ‘Only The Brave’ muddy obstacle course, September 2025, because EAAA is such a valuable organisation and we are very fortunate to have it.”
A sincere thank you, Yvonne, for your life-saving skydiving challenge.
