Plucky Barry braves fear of Heights with ‘exhilarating’ charity parachute jump

7 October 2011

Plucky Barry braves fear of Heights with ‘exhilarating’ charity parachute jump

(Wycombe Heights Golf Centre, Loudwater – October 5, 2011) Brave Barry Phipps confronted his fear of heights head on when he boldly leaped out of an aeroplane flying at11,000 feet – all in the name of charity.

Barry, Second Chef at Wycombe Heights Golf Centre, earned the full respect of his family, friends and colleagues who, aware of his touch of vertigo, sponsored his leap into oblivion to the tune of around £1,100.

The funds will go to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the charity supported by the public pay-and-play golf facility – part of Burhill Golf and Leisure, the UK’s leading golf course owner and operator.

“I’m terrified of heights – I get nervous standing on a chair or table!” quipped Barry, 33, who lives in High Wycombe and has been working at the golf centre for almost two years.

“So I guessed that if I did something as potentially scary as a parachute jump I’d get some sympathetic support and raise a bit more money.”

Barry performed his jump, carried out in tandem with experienced instructor Bryn Chaffe, at the North London Skydiving Centre (NLSC) based at Chatteris Airfield in March, Cambridgeshire.

“It was the most unbelievable feeling I’ve ever had,” he said. “I used to do a lot of off-piste snowboarding but this was the biggest adrenaline rush of all – pure exhilaration.”

On leaping out of the NLSC’s ‘Big Red’ De Havilland Twin Otter aeroplane – the largest skydiving aircraft in the UK – Barry and his instructor freefell for around 2,000 feet, tumbling through the skies at a velocity of 120mph, before the parachute was unfurled.

“I admit I was nervous climbing into the plane,” said Barry. “Once we leaped out the view over the countryside was amazing – you could see for miles. My instructor deserves a huge amount of credit, too, for making me feel confident enough to literally put my life in his hands.”

Russell Stebbings, Wycombe Heights Golf Centre General Manager, said: “Barry was incredibly bold to perform this parachute jump, especially as his fear of heights is well known. So his attempt to raise money for the golf centre’s chosen charity was not only greatly appreciated but his method of fundraising certainly earned the respect of everyone here.”

Now Barry has performed his heroic jump has his fear of heights been cured? “Not at all,” he insisted. “It’s bizarre. I am already looking forward to doing another jump, next March, but I still don’t want to go up a ladder!”