A West Lothian nurse has taken to the skies, completing a tandem skydive to raise vital funds for the children's hospice charity where she works.
Elaine Liddle, from Bathgate, alongside her colleague Laura Hart, both serve as Senior Charge Nurses at Rachel House in Kinross. The duo bravely participated in a tandem skydive for Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), an organisation dedicated to supporting children with life-shortening conditions and their families.
Turning 40 with a Leap of Faith
The high-flying pair decided to mark their 40th birthdays by embracing the challenge headfirst — quite literally. They have already raised more than £2,000 for CHAS, with donations continuing to come in.
Reflecting on the experience, Elaine said: "We have an incredible team at Rachel House who constantly go above and beyond for the families we support. It's a job like no other and we're unbelievably proud to be part of it."
She added: "We'd both like to thank everyone who has donated so generously. Every contribution helps give families the support they need and has really helped our fundraising take off."
A Challenge Like No Other
Laura Hart shared her motivation: "We both turned 40 last year and wanted to push ourselves to new heights — and what could be a bigger challenge than freefalling through the sky at 120mph?"
The skydive also aimed to support CHAS's £20 million More Than A Hospice Appeal, part of which seeks to transform Rachel House, where Laura has worked for nine years and Elaine for 11 years. Laura remarked: "It is such a privilege to help lead our incredible team as we care for amazing children and families every day."
An Unforgettable Experience
The skydive took place at Fife Airport with Skydive St Andrews. Laura described it as "absolutely amazing — completely surreal from take-off to touchdown!"
Elaine admitted the challenge was far outside her comfort zone: "Jumping out of a plane was never something I imagined myself doing — I don't even like rollercoasters! I thought I'd spend the whole time terrified, but once we were up in the air there was no turning back. It ended up being one of the best experiences of my life and now I'm already tempted to do it again!"
Donations can still be made to Elaine and Laura's skydive via their JustGiving page.
