Team Daniel supporter Beth tells us all about her bungee jumping adventure….

“So, in December 2018 I completed a 160ft Bungee Jump to raise Money for TeamDaniel – not too challenging I hear you cry? Well for someone terrified of heights it was significantly more than just challenging!

Here’s how it happened….

In April 2018 Nicole (Daniel’s Aunt) and I went on a 2-week holiday to the Gold Coast, Australia, to watch the Commonwealth Games. We had an amazing couple of weeks, and between sports spectating did a lot of sightseeing. One of the tours we booked was a treetop walk in a forest on top of a mountain, and mid-way around you could climb a 40ft ladder up a tree to a platform to get the most amazing view of the coast. Full of enthusiasm I sent Nicole up the ladder first and followed behind. Halfway up I couldn’t move! Turns out at some stage in the previous 15 years I’d gained a self-preservation instinct and I literally froze, absolutely terrified. Clearly, Nicole was super supportive and stood taking pictures of my terror.

Skip forwards a few months, having a cheeky summer pint after work, Nicole mentions that TeamDaniel had a Bungee Jump donated and they were looking for someone to complete it to raise money for the charity. After much mocking and hilarity about how I’d never make it off the platform somehow, I left the pub having ‘offered’ to do the jump!”

“Attempt 1 – CANCELLED. Initially booked for October, some seriously high winds meant my bungee jump was postponed. Yey to having more time to raise funds but a serious booo to another couple of months of feeling incredibly nauseous every time I thought about it!

Attempt 2 – It’s raining.

On Saturday 15th December (yes it was also cold) I pulled into the O2 carpark (Greenwich) where the bungee jump was taking place, in the driving rain, with my younger sister in the car for support. We look around at a few cranes and my younger sister stated, “There’s no chance it’s that one – it’s WAY too high”. It wasn’t WAY too high. That was it. Thanks.

Upon registration, the nerves started to show. When asked my age I clearly and confidently wrote down 27 yrs old (I was 37 yrs old!).

I’m up.

Having wrestled my way into the harnesses, had them checked multiple times and made the obvious lame jokes about the cords being attached, I was bundled into the crane seat. With a fan club of support from Emma, Nicole, Vicki & family there was no pulling out now.

Delay.

The camera facilities are broken. At this stage, there was what felt like a 2-day (was more like 2 minutes) delay, as the face on camera in the crane bucket for the slow-motion the action replay of your abject fear, was broken.

Needless to say I wasn’t concerned about reliving this moment and I was soon being hoisted into the air.

ABJECT FEAR!

As the crane went up I can confirm I’ve never been so terrified. The ground disappeared away, the inflatable ‘emergency crash pad’ looked the size of a postage stamp, and the lorries spread across the car park below looked like dinky toys. We got to the top and I physically couldn’t move, let alone jump. The wind had the bucket swinging all over the place, the 2 men in the bucket with me had their work cut out and all I could think was that for such a fantastic cause there was no way I could pull out.

I got pushed.

So the upshot is, I couldn’t jump, but I did agree to be pushed. One of the men almost physically prized my hands from the rails of the bucket, and with a swift 3, 2, 1 the other gave me almighty shove. Imagine if you will, a small child learning to dive - there’s nothing graceful - this was me. Cue resounding garble wail (it wasn’t even as ladylike as a scream) and I bounced!!

Phew.

So, it turns out this whole process took just under 3 minutes…

3 minutes of terror but ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT!!

With friends and family not thinking I’d go through with it unless there was significant financial benefit to TeamDaniel, I raised over £700 (including Gift Aid).

Moral of the story – if it’s for a good enough cause WHICH TEAM DANIEL IS you can achieve almost anything!

So get yourself out there and bring in the money!”