Peterborough pensioner, 71, skydives from 13,000 ft - and raises almost £2,000 for charity

A pensioner from Peterborough and his family have completed a charity skydive to raise almost £2,000 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Roger Sayer, 71, from Finchfield, his daughter Kelly Sayer, 42, and grandson Josh Stevens, 21, jumped from 13,000 feet as part of the East Anglian Air Ambulance’s ‘The Big Leaaap 2022’ fundraiser event on 9 April.

“The air ambulance is such an amazing organisation which gets people to the hospital as quickly as possible,” Roger said.

“I was quite nervous with the take off, but once we got up it was just amazing.

“My daughter and grandson said: ‘that was fantastic - we want to do it again’. I said: ‘yes, that’s a good idea’ - but I was walking away thinking no way am I going up there again.”

Roger raised £1,089 for the charity - and Kelly and Josh raised £800. Roger’s neighbours contributed £425 - almost half of the total amount he raised.

The 71-year-old displayed a sign outside his house thanking his neighbours for their donations, which said: ‘Finchfield - thank you for sponsoring East Anglian Air Ambulance’.

Roger’s family and friends were waiting for him when he landed at Sibson Aerodrome, in Peterborough. His family, friends, neighbours and members of his running club - the Werrington Joggers - all donated to his charity fundraiser.

Roger, was eager to take part in his first ever skydive, he added: “They said to arrive early and we had to be there by 8 o’clock. I was there at ten-to-8 - first in the queue. I didn’t want to hang about.

“It was -20C in the plane. When we jumped out it was freezing and I thought I was going to pass out - you can’t breathe.

“In the plane, it sounded like a lawn mower engine. I thought we had been up a long time, but when I looked at the chap’s altimeter we were only at 3,000 feet. That was quite nerve-racking.

“When we were on the edge of the plane waiting to go, he tapped me on the shoulder and we went. He spun us round though - so instead of facing the earth, I was on my back looking at the plane disappearing. That was quite scary - but when he righted us, it was amazing.”