The sky’s the limit for Gail’s ambition

Dec 5 2007 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

ADAREDEVIL training officer jumped for joy after plunging a few thousand feet in a parachute jump – and now she plans to do it again!

Gail Johnson, 21, of The Specials Laboratory, signed up for the daredevil tandem jump, which took place in Nottingham, after seeing a story about the Red Devils parachute team on TV.

She then set about raising sponsorship for the escapade, receiving support from friends and family, as well as colleagues at the Specials facility in Prudhoe.

Her sky-high ambition saw £400 raised for Macmillan Cancer Research.

Gail, who has worked for Specials for three years, said: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and when I saw the appeal for volunteers on TV, I was straight on the phone.

“The Red Devils provide all the training on the day and you can choose whether to do it for charity, so I decided to support Macmillan as they did so much to look after my Grandad when he was ill.

“The experience was certainly one I’ll never forget and I’ve already signed up to do it again next year. The only time I was nervous was when we were waiting for the plane door to open, but once you’re in the air, you just enjoy the experience.”

This is not the first time that Gail, who lives in Mickley, has turned her hand to extreme sports.

To celebrate her 21st birthday, colleagues clubbed together to buy her a day out at a rallying circuit, driving with experts and then trying out the cars for herself. Now they have put their hands in their pockets again to support her fundraising parachute jump.

“We were all very envious of Gail’s exploits, but the whole team was delighted to lend their support to such a good cause,” said Sharon Griffiths, general manager of The Specials Laboratory.

“The whole workforce here is a close-knit community and we’re always keen to get involved, even with something as madcap as throwing yourself out of an aeroplane.”