Under 16's rugby player Ricky Coe and his supportive sister Emmie have tackled their fear of heights by braving a 13,000ft skydive to raise money for the team.
As we reported last month, RWBRFC Under-16 Ricky Coe planned to take the jump to help fundraise for the U16 2019 Rugby Tour to Dublin.
16-year-old Ricky said: “I'd feel nauseous just looking up at tall buildings, I was afraid of falling, so I got a lot of teasing and banter from my team mates before the skydive. But when I stepped onto the plane, I calmed down and suddenly my fears went away, it was weird, I really surprised myself.
"I thought I'd stop anyone pushing me out of the plane but in the end I jumped. Seeing my friends there with me was very calming, it was nice to know that we were doing it together, it was brilliant, I was ecstatic and I'd be happy to do it again."
His dad Dennis Coe said: “We’re really proud of him. He was terrified during the build-up to it in the morning and I thought they’d struggle to get him out of the plane but he talked himself into it, he focused and told himself it would be great, and he was first out. It was like a switch flipped, he was buzzing when he landed, he absolutely loved it."
Along with older sister Emmie, Ricky’s rugby mates Jason Eatough and Dylan Higginson also joined him on the skydive while other teammates Jude Lynch, Louis Titcombe, Harris O’Donnell, and Jamie Murray watched from the ground with Royal Wootton Bassett Mayor Michael Farrow. They even brought the club’s mascot Bassett Hound along with them.
Jason’s dad Tom came up with the idea of doing the daredevil fundraising feat. Tom said: “I wanted to do something a bit out of the ordinary, the lads wanted to do something exciting, a personal challenge, and I joined in to show them that it’s not scary, it’s really enjoyable.
"If they were nervous, they didn't show it, they looked happy. Jason’s mum Claire was more anxious than any of us, she was getting butterflies on their behalf, but it was a real thrill. They won their match the next day, I think they were still full of adrenaline from the skydive. Next up is a bungee jump and everyone’s keen to do it - we might get more people involved this time, too.”
Together, Ricky and Emmie raised £1,400 and combined with their friends’ efforts, the total exceeded £2,000 - more than double the original target.
The money will pay for their upcoming rugby tour in Dublin, new kit, maintaining and buying new equipment, and covering costs in case one of the players can’t afford a place on the tour coach or an expensive piece of kit.
Ricky added: "Having such great friends and family to help us raise this money is amazing, I can't thank them enough."
Members wishing to donate to Ricky and Emmie can still visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/emmie-ricky-1
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