Daredevils young and old to skydive for The Myton Hospices

Loretta Franks and Barbara Rawlings prepare for their skydives for Myton Hospice.

Coventry pensioner Barbara Rawlings and Warwick school girl Loretta Franks are both taking part in tandem skydives this summer to raise money for The Myton Hospices.

They will be the youngest and oldest jumpers the charity has ever had with

Grandmother Barbara taking on the challenge for the second time since 2011.

Loretta attends Myton School and will be free-falling from over 15,000 ft on May 25 – just two days after her 16th birthday and in between sitting her GCSE exams.

She said: “I am really looking forward to the skydive.

“Last year I did a bungee jump off Middleborough Transport Bridge which was scary as you jump by yourself but at least this time I will be jumping with an instructor.

“It is nerve-wracking but it is for a good cause and I wanted to do something to raise money to support Myton as they looked after my Nan really well.”

Meanwhile daredevil Barbara will be taking to the sky on her 86th birthday for the charity’s exclusive jump at Hinton Airfield on Saturday July 26.

She said: “My sons think I’m mad and so does everybody else but when I was younger these opportunities just weren’t about,

“I don’t feel old and I never use my age as an excuse not to do something.

“If you want to do something you will do it – there is no such word as can’t.

At my age I don’t need any presents for my birthday

so people can donate to Myton instead and it saves spending money on a party.”

The Tile Hill resident has been branded ‘Supergran’ by supporters because of her adventurous nature.

For her 80th birthday the retired laboratory scientist tried her hand at tandem hand gliding and took on her first Myton skydive when she was 83.

Last year she celebrated her 85th birthday by riding on the back of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and she is already planning her next challenge.

She said: “I would like to go up in a microlight aircraft but I am going to save that

until I am 90 as I can do that in a wheelchair if I need one by then.

It is not too late to sign up for the skydive on July 26.

If you would like to join Team Barbara and help her celebrate 86 years in style visit www.mytonhospice.org

To sponsor Barbara visit www.doitforcharity.com/barbarar