A fearless Darlington fundraiser has finally taken to the skies after years of waiting as she completed a daring wing walk to raise money for a local hospice.
Nancy Spencer, from Heighington, soared above the clouds on May 27 at Leeds Airport East to fulfil her dream of wing walking to raise funds for St Teresa’s Hospice where she works as a volunteer.
The 80-year-old daredevil had originally planned to complete a skydive on her 70th birthday but was unfortunately cancelled as her husband Brian was diagnosed with cancer and was cared for by the staff at St Teresa’s.
Since then, Nancy has fundraised extensively for the hospice, taking part in abseiling and bed pushes, as her latest adventure saw her strapped to a Boeing Stearman biplane and soaring at speeds of up to 135mph.
Following her daring stunt, Nancy admitted she took a moment in the skies to wave “hello” to her late husband Brian as she completed the fundraiser that was ten years in the making.
She said: “It was exhilarating, amazing, scary at times, but fabulous, what an experience. I’ve just asked the pilot whether it has got rid of my wrinkles.
“I wouldn’t do it again but I would recommend anyone to do it as a one-off. The worst part was getting on and the wind in my ears, I should have had a helmet on or headphones, but it was amazing.”
She added: “I said hello to Brian up there, he said he was very proud of me, and I said I would see him in 20 years’ time.”
Organisers are now hoping that this venture will end up raising up to £3,000 for the hospice, that delivers free care for those living with life limiting illnesses across Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, Nancy’s family have admitted how proud they are of her after her stunt but confess they think she is “mad”.
Her daughter, Lynn Bradley, said: “We think she is mad, crazy, but it is my mum we are talking about at the end of the day so we know what to expect.
“We can’t put into words how very proud of her we are. She is an amazing lady.”
For those who run St Teresa’s, fundraisers like Nancy are critical to raise money for the organisation that relies heavily on donations to provide their care.
Interim Chief Executive of St Teresa’s, Nicola Myers, said: “It costs us just under £4m to run the hospice and 70 per cent of that is realised by our lovely community.
“Nancy is an amazing volunteer for the hospice and an incredible fundraiser. We are so grateful for what she does.”
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