Bude pensioner tandem skydives to celebrate her 80th birthday

A pensioner from Bude decided to celebrate her belated 80th birthday and the end of the national coronavirus lockdown by booking a tandem skydive.

Ann Maskell who is a resident at McCarthy and Stone's Pen Morvah Retirement Living development, said a skydive was something that have been on her bucket list for some time. and thought it was the perfect way to mark the occasion.

The OAP adrenaline junkie says she found her adventurous side while in Australia visiting her brother where she decided to take a hot air balloon ride for her 60th birthday.

Ann first tried a tandem skydive back in November of last year, in Cornwall to coincide with her now 80th birthday. Unfortunately, the skydive, which was over Perranporth, didn’t go as smoothly as she’d hoped.

The plane – a Cessna 206 – lost power during the flight so quite incredibly, before she knew it, Ann was tapped on the shoulder and told they needed to evacuate the plane, jumping out at 4,000 feet instead of the full 10,000 feet.

“It all happened so quickly, there wasn’t much time to think about what was going on. I didn’t feel frightened or worried, I was just excited! My tandem instructor, Lex, was really caring and looked after me the whole time. We ended up landing in a field, not the one we’d planned, but I was on such a high afterwards, so I was still really glad I did it.”

“It wasn’t until after the sky dive that Lex turned to me and said: Do you mind me asking how old you are? He didn’t say a word when I told him, I think he was stunned.”

Ann Maskell

She said she found the experience so exhilarating that she couldn’t wait to book another one so she could do the full dive. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ann had to wait until restrictions were lifted.

“I’ve always been a busy person, so I really wanted to continue trying new and exciting things and not let lockdown or a little pandemic stop me doing this. You just never know what life is going to bring next and I didn’t want to wait around to find out!”

She finally took to the skies again on Sunday 23rd August and jumped the full 10,000 feet over Perrenporth.

“When we were getting ready for the jump, I was excited, but I also felt very relaxed. Andy, my instructor, said that people sometimes feel more apprehensive on their second skydive, but I wasn’t even scared on the first one! He was really reassuring and made me feel secure.

“When I finally did the jump, it was just as exhilarating as I remember. There’s so much to see as you are flying through the air, I was just trying to take it all in. Andy kept pointing out the different places as we flew past them – St. Ives, Truro and then back to the coastline – it was such a beautiful view, particularly the waves crashing against the rocks and the blue sea. I also got to hold the two strings of the parachute this time which was really exciting. I didn’t want it to end.

“When the experience was over, I was on a real high and over the moon that I could complete the full 10,000-foot jump. I was eager to go and get my certificate and t-shirt, which I absolutely love – it’s one of the best fitted t-shirts I’ve ever owned! I don’t usually buy them, but now I will always have something to remember the skydive by – I might even wear it to my first walking group holiday!”

Ann Maskell

To date Ann has raised over £1,000 from her skydiving endeavours which she has donated to the Merlin MS Centre near St Austell. The charity looks after people with MS, Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions. It is a charity close to her heart, as she has friends who suffer from both MS and Parkinson’s.

She says she hopes to raise further vital funds for the Merlin MS Centre.

“Every penny really does count. It would give me such a boost if people could get behind me and if I could inspire a few others along the way.

Ann Maskell

"We were amazed and delighted that Ann decided to undertake such an adventurous feat for our charity – after the problem with her first attempt we thought she might be put off, but far from it!

"We are incredibly grateful that she has chosen to raise funds for our charity, particularly at this current time when we have lost almost all means of raising funds during lockdown.

“The Merlin MS Centre is the only purpose-built therapy facility in Cornwall providing subsidised therapies and support for people living with long-term neurological conditions at the Centre in Hewas Water, near St. Austell. We receive no statutory funding so rely on voluntary income such as fundraising activities, donations and legacies.”

Sarah Snell, Interim Centre Manager at Merlin MS Centre.

When asked what her secret to staying young is, she said:

“I don’t feel my age. They say it’s all in the attitude of the mind. That’s not to say I don’t have aches and pains – I do. But you can’t sit and dwell on these things.

"I’m lucky health-wise. I come from a very strong-willed family that taught me to be very forward thinking. Not everyone is like me, and right now I know some people my age are feeling tired and frustrated after the lockdown.

"My message is to keep being cautious but not to let life pass you by! Look at all the wonderful veterans on VJ Day and the amazing Captain Sir Tom - what an inspiration they are to us. As they say, age is just a number.”

Ann Maskell

She says she is already planning her next adventure and has set her sights on wing walking.

“Andy, my instructor from the skydive, asked if I would want to do another dive, but now that I’ve done two, I definitely feel like I’ve ‘been there, done that!’. So, I want to take on the challenge of wing walking – I just need to save up the money for it first. Maybe I will do it to mark my 85th birthday!”

Ann Maskell

You can donate to Ann’s JustGiving page here.

You can visit the Merlin MS Therapy Centre website for more information here.