A County Armagh school vice-principal will take a real leap of faith this weekend with her first ever parachute jump as she raises money for a cause very close to her heart.
The sky really is the limit for Kathryn Patterson, who will travel to Garvagh on Saturday alongside her niece, Ellen Rodgers, a sixth form student of Magherafelt High School.
Both Kathryn – vice-principal of Clounagh Junior High School in Portadown – and Ellen have been fundraising separately but for the same charity – Dementia NI.
And explaining her choice, Kathryn told Armagh I: “My mother has recently been diagnosed with dementia and I’ve had a few other family members as well.
“I just decided that it’s time to maybe give back, because we’ve had huge amounts of support through the charity in the past, so thought it was very worthwhile.”
It really will be a case of ‘high noon’ for aunt and niece, as 12 o’clock is the allocated time slot for their jump.
Weather assessments will take place on Friday to ensure there are no issues which might prevent the skydive – from a height of 15,000 ft – going ahead.
On Saturday morning, a safety briefing will take place upon arrival and then it should be all systems go!
For Kathryn, a parachute jump certainly is out of her comfort zone but she is by no means fazed by the prospect.
“I would have done horse rides and different things like that in my youth, but never, ever anything like this,” she said.
“I think it was one of those things where I had a few years ago looked at the possibility of doing a skydive and then I sort of left it to one side.
“Then I was browsing through something – it would have been in the summer at a point whenever my mother wasn’t doing particularly well at the time – and I came across it and I thought, ‘oh, you can link this to charity – what a great way to do this’.
“From that it just went from there. I immediately registered and went straight through.
“To be honest, I put it to one side. I did a lot of my own private fundraising until Friday whenever I shared it in school and until that point I hadn’t thought a huge amount about it at all.
“I was really pleased that I could see the amount of support privately that I was receiving and I thought that was fantastic. Then the minute I shared it with staff, I’ve had so many people come to me and say about how brave I am and I thought to myself, I haven’t even thought about it. I think I compartmentalised it in one wee place. It’s something I’m doing and I’ve given it no thought at all.”
Incredibly, while it would be understandable to harbour doubts and have second thoughts, not so Kathryn!
“Not really,” is the response when asked if the nerves have begun to kick in. “Probably because I’ve been so busy at home and in school and different things and I haven’t given it a huge amount of thought.
“Kids in school are like, oh my goodness, I couldn’t do that. That’ll be really scary. Do you like heights? One said to me, what happens if your parachute doesn’t open? I had that. But it has tended to be that they’re surprised that I’m doing it because they’re seeing me, I suppose, in a different light.”
Family, friends and the entire school community at Clounagh Junior High have been so supportive and Kathryn, in fundraising terms, has exceeded her own expectations and is incredibly grateful to all who have donated to date.
“My original fundraising target of £500 has been surpassed by a significant amount, which I am absolutely delighted about,” she added.
“It is particularly rewarding to know that the money raised will go towards supporting Dementia NI, such a worthwhile cause that is close to my heart. Dementia affects so many families, and I am delighted to be able to do something, however small, to help support those living with the condition and their families.
“I have been completely overwhelmed by the support I have received, both through generous donations and the many kind words of encouragement from friends, colleagues and the wider school community.
“At this point, I’m just blown away by the amount of money that has been raised and I think it’s fantastic.”
Now as Saturday fast approaches, Kathryn is really looking forward to it and relishing the opportunity to do something she believes will be a “phenomenal experience”.
“I don’t think anything could truly prepare you for it,” she said. “I wouldn’t say I’m a thrill-seeker in any way, shape or form, but I think, wow, it’s going to be an incredible experience.
“And at the end of the day, the fact that I can do it alongside a charity fundraiser, all the better!”
If you would like to support Kathryn’s fundraiser for Dementia NI, you can do so here.
Most read today
PUBLIC NOTICE
