A 23-year old man from Barry has completed a 13,000ft skydive and raised over £1,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society Cymru.
Andrew Swinfen, who lives with Multiple Sclerosis, completed the skydive alongside five of his friends at the Skydive Swansea Centre.
Andrew, who works as a telesales executive at Barry-based COS Group, raised the money through sponsorship from friends and family and by organising a charity night with live music and a raffle at the Park Hotel in Barry.
Having been diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS) at the age of 18, Andrew decided to complete the skydive to give something back to the charity that continues to support him with his condition.
In order to complete the tandem skydive, Andrew and his friends underwent ‘on the ground’ training where they were taught the ‘freefall’ and landing positions for skydiving.
Andrew said: “When I was diagnosed with MS, I thought it was the end of the world. Everything I knew suddenly changed and I started to find the normal day to day activities people take for granted a struggle. It became extremely demoralising when I watched my friends participate in sports and I wasn’t able to join in.
“However, with the help of the MS charity, I started to realise that my illness wasn’t the end of the world. That’s why I decided on the charity skydive. My friends have also always wanted to do a skydive so we thought this was the perfect opportunity to have some fun but also a great way to thank the charity for their continued support. I also decided to complete the skydive as I wanted to get the message out there that anything is possible and that illnesses like MS should not stop you.”
James Emery, managing director of COS Group, said: “We’re delighted Andrew has raised such a significant amount for the charity. As soon as we found out about the skydive, all of team clubbed together to donate money for Andrew and this worthwhile cause. We’re very pleased that he successfully completed the daring challenge.”
The Multiple Sclerosis charity is the leading charity in Wales dedicated to beating MS. The charity funds research and helps those who are living with MS by providing information and support.
Iestyn Evans, Fundraising Manager for the Multiple Sclerosis Society Cymru, said: “Andrew is a true inspiration. He has shown that with the right information, medication and support, he can continue to live his life normally and make his dreams a reality. We’re thrilled that Andrew and his friends have raised a significant sum for the charity and we hope he encourages more people to support this vital cause. The money will help to us to find even better symptom-modifying treatments and take us a step closer to ending MS. It’s a great achievement for Andrew and his friends and we hope they continue to support the charity in the future.”