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Living to dive

Stuart Wilson likes throwing himself out of an aeroplane at 12,000 feet, and he's just got a licence to do it.

Stuart and his two friends Alan Thompson and Pete Davis are the only qualified deaf skydivers in the UK. Next week they will be attempting a new British skydiving record in front of the VEE-TV cameras. 'I live to skydive,' he says. 'You should try it! It's the best ever!'

If the word 'skydiving' is associated more closely in your mind with dying than with living, you might like to consider another ambition. Stuart qualified for his skydiving licence with the help of a Jack Ashley Millennium Award for Young Deaf people, funded by a lottery grant with the aim of giving young deaf people opportunities that hearing people can take for granted.

The closing date for the next application is 7 May 2002, so if you want to have a shot at it, e-mail millennium.awards@ndcs.org.uk or fax 020 7251 5120 for an information pack.

If on the other hand you do want to try skydiving, you could consider contacting the National Deaf Children's Society (fundraising@ndcs.org.uk) about their fundraising skydive. You have to be at least 16, and if you're under 18, you'll need your parents' consent. No fear of heights might also be helpful.

Links

British Parachuting Association (BPA)
www.bpa.org.uk
The BPA is a governing body which aims to further the advancement of parachuting within the UK and encourage participation.

Deaf Skies
www.deafskies.co.uk
News of Deaf Skydiving World Record attempts plus images and information from the UK Deaf Skydiving scene.

Dirtdive.co.uk
www.dirtdive.co.uk
News, forthcoming events, forums and drop-zone listings from the UK scene. Information on the different types of training is also available.

Dropzone.com
www.dropzone.com
Comprehensive website with drop zone and skydivers databases, equipment reviews, forums, news from around the world and events calendar.

Silent Free Fall
http://members.aol.com/deafskies
Another Deaf Skies site (see above) with images and profiles of deaf skydivers from around the world.

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