A daredevil Monmouthshire woman has leapt from a plane at 13,000 feet to raise funds for a cause close to her heart.
Lisa Hicks, who lives near Monmouth, took part in her first skydive in memory of Tom Walker, raising almost £1,800 for the fund established in his name by Cancer Research Wales.
Tom, a quiet, considerate and caring boy, was a pupil at Monmouth School for Boys, when he died from acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a rare but aggressive form of cancer, aged just 13, in June 2018.
Tom’s sisters, Holly and Emily have been at the forefront of a wonderful community campaign which has raised £176,000 to date, in his memory.
Lisa is a close friend of Tom’s family, with three children at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools.
She was delighted to complete her tandem parachute jump after several postponements due to bad weather.
“It was a completely exhilarating experience, and I would do it again in a heartbeat,” said Mrs Hicks.
“We were in freefall for about 100 seconds – there was a blanket of cloud below us but the sun was strong above the cloud.
“We pulled the chute just as we got to the cloud-line and then floated to the ground; it was amazing.”
Mrs Hicks continued: “My eldest son was good friends with Tom and, as families, we shared a few days’ holiday together in Spain where the boys went to watch Barcelona play Real Madrid at football,” said Mrs Hicks.
“Overall, I was keen to highlight the wonderful fund that is raising money in Tom’s name, the research that is being done into Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and to show that we all remember Tom, who would think my skydive was hilarious.
“I would like to thank everyone who has supported me; it means a lot.”
Meanwhile, the third Brecon Beacons Night Hike, in memory of Tom Walker, will take place on Saturday 25th June.
The hike is due to be held just a few days after the fourth anniversary of losing Tom. Tom’s family is hoping that favourable weather will allow them to see a beautiful sunset on the evening.
