By LYNNE BOOKER
Why would a 74-year-old man with vertigo and a fear of heights jump out of a plane 4,600 metres from Earth? “Partly to conquer my fear of heights,” said Lawrence Warner, “but also to raise funds for Madrugada.”
Madrugada is an Algarve charity that concerns itself with people who have serious illness and helps their families to cope by providing practical, emotional and spiritual support.
At the age of 17, Lawrence cycled around Europe and his last venture was to train to take part in a planned charity expedition of pension-aged people to the South Pole. It therefore comes as no surprise that he is prepared to take up any challenge that comes his way. His plans for next year include working as a volunteer in Nepal.
When he was 50, Lawrence decided to leave his career in banking and set up his own business as a graphologist. He founded the International Graphology Association and then took a degree in psychology with the Open University.
Training for the sky dive, Lawrence says he has been doing the eye exercises recommended by Dr W.H. Bates over 100 years ago. Why eye exercises? As this jump is the only one he will be making, Lawrence does not want to miss seeing anything in his 50-second free fall at 100mph.
Because he is a novice at sky-diving, he will not be making this brief journey alone. He will be one element of a tandem jump which will take place on Friday, October 11, at 10am at the airfield in Alvor.
The aim is to raise €5,000 from this sponsored jump and Lawrence asks you to give generously.
Donations can be made via:
Bank transfers to:
Barclays Bank, Account Madrugada Ass Ajuda Suporte Pessoas Afec, No. 266/208633599
NIB: 0032 0266 0020 8633 599 78
IBAN: PT50 0032 0266 0020 8633 5997 8
SWIFT CODE: BARCPTPL
By Paypal through the website: www.madrugada-portugal.com/donation.php
Reference in each case is ‘jump’
scripto13@hotmail.co.uk (Lawrence Warner) | www.madrugada-portugal.com
