While retirement usually means time to take things easy, Sylvia Jones from Llandudno plans to mark her final day at work hurtling through the air at 70 mph with a high-flying fundraiser for Wales Air Ambulance.
Sylvia, who has worked with accountancy firm Williams Denton since 1970, is being sponsored to take flight on the Zip World Titan at Llechwedd Slate Cavern on March 27. There’s just one problem, she has a long-standing fear of heights. Sylvia explained: “I’ve tried to overcome my fear of heights, but have yet to manage it. A few years ago I really wanted to climb the Eifel Tower, but once I got to the first platform I couldn’t go on. “I’m not sure why I chose a zipwire, there are easier things to do, I just wanted to take on a challenge and conquer my fear.” She joked: “I think I chose to raise money for the Air Ambulance because I’m hoping they will look favourably on me if I need to be airlifted off!” Titan will see Sylvia fly over mountain moor and mine, across 8km of zip lines, reassuringly called Anarchy, Bedlam and Chaos. She will be accompanied on the challenge by colleague Craig Bisby and the Wales Air Ambulance mascot, and hopes to raise £500 for the charity. Medwyn Hughes of Wales Air Ambulance congratulated Sylvia on taking ‘a challenge of a lifetime’. He added: “As a charity we must raise £6 million each year to cover our running costs, every penny of which comes from donations. “With each mission costing £1500, without the kindness and generosity of people like Sylvia we quite simply couldn’t continue.”
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