26 January 2023

Fundraiser Ruth Ross fulfilled a dream when she completed a skydive, raising vital funds for Twins Trust.

The sky was certainly the limit for Ruth when she took on the challenge. She’s already collected more than £700 on her Just Giving page.

Norland Nanny Ruth said: “I always liked the idea of jumping out of a plane. My husband is in the army and he always said he would never voluntarily jump out of a plane. So I thought I would do it instead.

“I saw a piece in Multiple Matters magazine that suggested you could do a skydive and that’s when I thought I would do it for Twins Trust. I happened to mention it to my neighbour, who said she always fancied doing a skydive as well. She is approaching 70 and had made a list of 70 things to do before she is 70 and one was a skydive.”

The friends headed to Old Sarum airfield in Salisbury, Wiltshire, for the skydive in May 2022. Fortunately the weather was on their side as they prepared for their flight.

Ruth added: “We were really lucky as the weather was ideal. It was sunny and a little windy too. I was actually fine. I wasn’t nervous at all, I surprised myself. I didn’t have any huge qualms about doing it, you get carried along by the whole process.”

The pair completed a training induction with their fellow skydivers before they headed up into the clouds ready for the jump.

Speaking about the skydive, Ruth, who is also a twin, added: “I was right at the back of the plane so I couldn’t see out onto the ground. In a way I guess that was better because I wasn’t looking out of an open doorway. I think my husband was a bit nervous for me.

“We had the freefall for the first 30 seconds before the parachute came out and then we were drifting and able to see the land all around us before our safe landing. It was an exceptional experience.

If the opportunity arose, I would love to do another jump.