BANGOR man Ivan Bolt is not a fan of heights, but he has just jumped out of a plane at 10,000 feet to raise money for cancer charity Macmillan in memory of his wife Betty.
So far, his total stands at nearly £2,200, but his JustGiving fundraising page remains open in the hope that the figure will rise even higher.
“I’d been thinking for some time about what I could do to honour Betty while at the same time setting a challenge for myself,” Ivan said.
“Since I don’t like heights, I figured that could be the challenge. I initially planned to do a wing walk, but the only place I could do it was in England.
“So I settled on a parachute jump with Skydive Ireland in Garvagh. I paid all my expenses myself so that all the money raised would go to the charity.”
Ivan’s wife Betty died from cancer in June 2023. He chose Macmillan Cancer Support as his charity because he knows at first hand how much support people need when they are living with the illness.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of beautiful messages I’ve received about how Betty touched people’s lives,” he added.
“I hope I have done her proud, and I hope I have made some contribution to improving the lives of people diagnosed with cancer.”
Ivan’s jump was originally scheduled for October 12, but low cloud prevented it. A brief window in the weather allowed it to take place on October 24.
“I have to say it was a fantastic experience,” Ivan said. “Betty always said I was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, but until now I’d been content with riding motorbikes.
“In fact, I enjoyed the jump so much I’m thinking I might do it again at some point. It certainly cures your fear of heights.”
Ivan’s JustGiving page for donations is at www.justgiving.com/page/ivan-bolt-1.
