The sky's the limit for Fleetwood's OAP skydiver

Daredevil pensioner Keith Aldred proves the sky’s the limit.
Daredevil pensioner Keith Aldred proves the sky’s the limit.Daredevil pensioner Keith Aldred proves the sky’s the limit.
Daredevil pensioner Keith Aldred proves the sky’s the limit.

Keith,from Fleetwood, who turns 73 next week, flew to 14,000ft to realise a long held ambition to make a tandem skydive, which he did to raise more than £300 for charity Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

It was third time lucky for Keith, a retired IT contractor, after his jump with Skydive Northwest, which flies from Cark Airfield near Grange-over-Sands, was twice postponed in September because of poor weather.

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Keith said: “I have jumped at last! It was definitely worth the wait – a fantastic experience.

“It is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I made two charity parachute jumps back in the 1980s but these were solo jumps.

“You don’t fly as high and your parachute opens immediately you leave the plane so you don’t get to experience the sensation of free-falling in the same way as you do when you make a tandem skydive.”

Keith, who is married to Carol and father to their daughters Gayle and Karen, chose to make his skydive for Rosemere Cancer Foundation as thank you for his own successful treatment for prostate cancer.

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Keith said: “I am 15 years on from my diagnosis and I am all but fully recovered apart from having six monthly blood test check-ups. My skydive was in celebration of life, a morale booster, and I am very grateful to everyone who supported me and donated via my Just Giving page and who also took part in [daughter’s name]’s fundraising raffle, which boosted the amount I raised.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring treatments to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire, including at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

The charity funds cutting edge equipment, research, training and other cancer services and therapies that the NHS is unable to afford.

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