A HARWICH grandmother has raised more than £2,500 for St Helena’s Hospice after marking her 80th birthday with a skydive.
Jan Eves, who turned 80 on January 15, jumped out of a plane at 13,000ft and free-fell for 1,000ft before her parachute was opened.
Jan said: “The memory that will stick with me forever is the silence, I have never heard silence like it - no winds, no birds, just pure white.”
To take part in the jump, Jan had to demonstrate that she could lift her legs high, but fortunately, she is in good health thanks to playing golf and walking a lot.
Jan, who had never done a skydive before, travelled at about 125mph diving the skydive.
Tony, Jan’s husband, was not surprised at all by her generous fundraising as she has previously cycled from both cycling London to Essex and from Jerusalem to the Red Sea to raise money for a defibrillator for Romford Hospital and the British Heart Foundation.
Jan’s family came to watch and cheer on her skydiving while skydive pilot Callum helped her train for the feat.
To further celebrate her birthday, Jan went to Harwich’s Thai up at The Quay where 28 of her family including her children were hiding behind a curtain for her arrival.
Jan, who has raised over £1,300 in donations online has also raised over £1k in-person meaning the donations totalled over £2.5k.
Jan added: “I don’t feel 80, it’s just a number.”
“It doesn’t make me feel old, so I carry on walking and golfing.”
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