0:00:10 > 0:00:15Rugby player Gareth Alfie Thomas is a legend of the game. He captained
0:00:15 > 0:00:20the Lions and was a record try scorer for Wales and the first
0:00:20 > 0:00:28player to get 100 caps for his country. He was also the first
0:00:28 > 0:00:32openly gay International sports star. Fearless on the field and off
0:00:32 > 0:00:37it, his latest challenge is a skydive from 12,000 feet for Sport
0:00:37 > 0:00:44Relief, which sounds easy, a doddle, except for one thing. He is
0:00:44 > 0:00:51terrified of heights. Gareth has acute acrophobia. The hard man who
0:00:51 > 0:00:55broke 40 bones and lost his front teeth through rugby is paralysed
0:00:55 > 0:01:00through fear of putting on a parachute was a even a stepladder
0:01:00 > 0:01:07scares him.We will start with a small ladder, a stepladder.But he
0:01:07 > 0:01:10has a plan for the he will recruit a team to take the challenge on with
0:01:10 > 0:01:18him. It is a team like nine he has ever played with before. A gang of
0:01:18 > 0:01:23grandmothers and grandfathers to take to the skies alongside him. Can
0:01:23 > 0:01:29Captain courageous lead from the front? Take one for the team and
0:01:29 > 0:01:35overcome his acrophobia? I cannot stop moving. In time for his Sport
0:01:35 > 0:01:42Relief challenge to take flight. It will take some cajoling, some
0:01:42 > 0:01:48bottle... And hands on help from the world was my oldest female skydiver.
0:01:48 > 0:01:55Feel the fear and do it anyway. To get Gareth anywhere near the runway.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58So, strap yourself in, adopt the brace position and prepare for a
0:01:58 > 0:02:06bumpy ride as we join Gareth Thomas's Silver Skydivers for Sport
0:02:06 > 0:02:15Relief. Gareth, or Alfie as he is known to many, might be an
0:02:15 > 0:02:18internationally renowned sportsman but what he is a homeboy who loves
0:02:18 > 0:02:23his mum and dad.I come to see my parents as often as possible. They
0:02:23 > 0:02:29have been unbelievably supportive of me throughout my whole life. For me,
0:02:29 > 0:02:38it is really important that they enjoy their old age.You missed a
0:02:38 > 0:02:46bit.Get out of here. These are my achievements in here. Everything I
0:02:46 > 0:02:50did in here was on an environment that I was quite comfortable with.
0:02:50 > 0:02:56That was with my two feet on the floor.Exactly. Nothing in here for
0:02:56 > 0:03:00flying yet.I have managed to go and be successful in my life without
0:03:00 > 0:03:06having to take my feet off the ground.With me, my fear is that I
0:03:06 > 0:03:11cannot take that step.I lose control. Do think it is brave for
0:03:11 > 0:03:17people to overcome their fears? Yes. You're not willing to overcome
0:03:17 > 0:03:22yours?No, I don't want to.I don't want to. That is the difference
0:03:22 > 0:03:29between me and to you.I want to. The difference is actually 25 years.
0:03:29 > 0:03:38No, no comic no. You are saying you are 25 years older than me. It
0:03:38 > 0:03:44doesn't make a difference.In my life I have left, I don't want to do
0:03:44 > 0:03:51anything.No. There are people who want to keep challenging themselves.
0:03:51 > 0:03:58That is great. I take my hat off to them.I am.Fine.Stop going on
0:03:58 > 0:04:03about it. I want to do a Sport Relief challenge to inspire my
0:04:03 > 0:04:06parents and people exactly the same as them to realise every day they
0:04:06 > 0:04:12should face a challenge and that age is just a number.Man Thomas might
0:04:12 > 0:04:21not be convinced that her boy is pushing on with his challenge.I am
0:04:21 > 0:04:24determined to find old age pensioners who will inspire a
0:04:24 > 0:04:29generation to actually not be afraid of being old and to look at elderly
0:04:29 > 0:04:36people with respect, coupled with huge amounts of imagination.Big
0:04:36 > 0:04:41words and a bold idea. Is it really achievable? Gareth needs a mental,
0:04:41 > 0:04:47someone who can supercharge his Silver skydivers skydive but help
0:04:47 > 0:04:54him to overcome his fear of heights. Do not go gentle into that, good
0:04:54 > 0:05:06night. Rage, rage against the dying of the night.Meet Dilys Price. 85
0:05:06 > 0:05:13years young and the visually the world's oldest female solo skydiver.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18-- and efficiently. What is more she is Welsh and a rugby fan was she has
0:05:18 > 0:05:25agreed to become Gareth's skydive Guru.Let's make a cup of tea.A
0:05:25 > 0:05:30woman after my own heart. It becomes apparent why she wants to get
0:05:30 > 0:05:35involved.I think what you're doing is fantastic and to thwart I think
0:05:35 > 0:05:40is my passion now, to try to change lives for people. We start, we live
0:05:40 > 0:05:45and we will die but we have got that span of life. I don't want the last
0:05:45 > 0:05:49part to Beamish above. Sometimes it happens partly because of society. I
0:05:49 > 0:05:57am old and I will tell you you have to fight society. You are doing the
0:05:57 > 0:06:02opposite. You are saying, come on, get outside your comfort zone and do
0:06:02 > 0:06:07a skydive. If they do a skydive there would be more receptive to
0:06:07 > 0:06:13change and more open. The amount of people who say, this is better than
0:06:13 > 0:06:22sex. I love that. That is literal. It is going to be wonderful.At what
0:06:22 > 0:06:32age did you do your first skydive? 54. How many have you done?1139. I
0:06:32 > 0:06:41am in the Guinness book of records when I was 80.You are the first
0:06:41 > 0:06:45person I have told this, I'm so scared of heights he would not
0:06:45 > 0:06:52believe it. If you are standing next to me I would be OK.The thing is, I
0:06:52 > 0:06:58was terrified. The first time, I thought I was dying. I have had a
0:06:58 > 0:07:05couple of scary times. Now she tells me. It is safer than driving a car.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10You will love it. The more scared you are the more you will love it
0:07:10 > 0:07:15when you have done it. At some point you will think, what am I doing this
0:07:15 > 0:07:19for quest to you face the fear of death, you come down and you are
0:07:19 > 0:07:26invincible. -- doing this? What you are doing is revolutionary for older
0:07:26 > 0:07:31people.
0:07:32 > 0:07:40people.Delicious one of the most incredible people I have met.
0:07:40 > 0:07:47incredible people I have met. -- Dilys is one.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Dilys is one.Inspired by Dilys, Gareth puts out a video on social
0:07:50 > 0:07:56media.I am looking for women and men over the age of 60 and under 120
0:07:56 > 0:08:05to do a tandem skydive with me for Sport Relief.So, get in touch. Any
0:08:05 > 0:08:11takers?Oh, yes. The tandem skydive has been my bucket list as long as I
0:08:11 > 0:08:15could remember.It is something I always wanted to be never got around
0:08:15 > 0:08:21to doing.How old are you, grampa? Ex-TA. I have was wanted to do a
0:08:21 > 0:08:30skydive but never had the courage to go ahead and do it.I want to do
0:08:30 > 0:08:36something new, adventurous.Are you too old to skydive?No. I want to
0:08:36 > 0:08:46show everyone that age is just a number.I am aged 87.I am 77 years
0:08:46 > 0:08:56old. My name is Colin. I will be 71 on January 20 six.I and 77. I am
0:08:56 > 0:09:03Tony Parkes, 83.I am 74 years old. I have never contemplated doing
0:09:03 > 0:09:12anything like this before. I want to give it a try.With his Silver
0:09:12 > 0:09:15skydive team coming together, Gareth turns his attention to the reason
0:09:15 > 0:09:20why he is doing this challenge. The skydive is to raise money for Sport
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Relief and he wants to look at one of the community projects for the
0:09:25 > 0:09:31over 50s it helps to fund.I am on my way to the rainbow Centre in
0:09:31 > 0:09:36Wrexham to seek myself the benefits and positive impact this place has
0:09:36 > 0:09:41on people's lives. I might be able to recruit a few more Silver
0:09:41 > 0:09:50Skydivers while I am there. Peter, the driver, how are you doing?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Gareth's 's task is to join 69-year-old Pete who drives the
0:09:53 > 0:10:03minibus.We take this out every day. You go over the feel-good factor
0:10:03 > 0:10:09because we tried to look after, care for and give a good day out. It is
0:10:09 > 0:10:15self rewarding. I remember seeing a sign, loneliness kills, and it does.
0:10:15 > 0:10:22The rainbow Centre serves an area carrying more than 150 square miles.
0:10:22 > 0:10:28-- covering. For its clients living alone and with mobility issues, then
0:10:28 > 0:10:34lifts to the centre are a lifeline. Do you think that we have been
0:10:34 > 0:10:39helping to look after other people and that helps you to look after
0:10:39 > 0:10:44yourself?It does. It is not rocket science. If we care for ourselves
0:10:44 > 0:10:50look after ourselves will be fitter and better people for a lot longer.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54As Gareth discovers, the rainbow Centre offers all sorts of
0:10:54 > 0:11:06activities to keep its clients physically and mentally stimulated.
0:11:06 > 0:11:12And, what activity does the former rugby hard man zone in on? Hallow,
0:11:12 > 0:11:19ladies. Knitting. Maybe it is an opportunity to stitch up some more
0:11:19 > 0:11:23skydivers.Can you imagine being on the aeroplane and opening up the
0:11:23 > 0:11:29doors and saying, can wield jump out now? I am not trying to put you off.
0:11:29 > 0:11:37-- can we all jumped out now?You only live once.Why is this table
0:11:37 > 0:11:43not doing skydiving? We are too old. My you letting your age dictate what
0:11:43 > 0:11:51you can and cannot do?As you get older you see more fear in life.
0:11:51 > 0:11:59Also you lose confidence in life. Really?It is. It is having that
0:11:59 > 0:12:05confidence to go and do it.Social isolation has a big impact on
0:12:05 > 0:12:11confidence and it is here that the Rainbow Centre support counts.A lot
0:12:11 > 0:12:16of people coming here are people who cannot get out of a house. When they
0:12:16 > 0:12:21come into here we want to give them a chance to socialise. Some of the
0:12:21 > 0:12:27people we work with might have dementia. It is hard to have those
0:12:27 > 0:12:33conversations you or I would have. When we bring children in, everyone
0:12:33 > 0:12:38is equal and we do singing, dancing and crafts. It's about people not
0:12:38 > 0:12:44feeling isolated and excluded.I would enjoy it here. The best job
0:12:44 > 0:12:50ever.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54ever.Going to meet the people and getting to know them, I realised
0:12:54 > 0:12:58that this project with this sentiment these people's lives would
0:12:58 > 0:13:03be so lonely. This gives them a purpose, a reason to get up in the
0:13:03 > 0:13:07morning and gives them something to look forward to. The money you
0:13:07 > 0:13:13donate to Sport Relief helps projects like this keep running. So,
0:13:13 > 0:13:20please, please donate generously.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Meanwhile, Gareth has one last piece of business to attend to. He has got
0:13:49 > 0:13:54word that the manageress of the cafe, Sheila, is ready to join his
0:13:54 > 0:13:59silver skydivers.What made you want to take part?I reached a point in
0:13:59 > 0:14:05my life that I was 60, and nothing really fazes me. It is like, get out
0:14:05 > 0:14:10there and do it, life is too short. We've lost so many of our friends in
0:14:10 > 0:14:14the last couple of years who have died way too soon, and they have not
0:14:14 > 0:14:21enjoyed their lives. So it's like, get out there and do it.That is the
0:14:21 > 0:14:30flip of what society says age is.My Grans always seemed old, they lost
0:14:30 > 0:14:34their husbands quite young, at 60 they would get their pension, and
0:14:34 > 0:14:38then it was like, slippers and sit by the fire. But it has all changed,
0:14:38 > 0:14:43I hope it has, it has for me. It's like 60s, I could do these things.
0:14:43 > 0:14:50Piece of cake! With his first volunteer in the bag, Gareth spots
0:14:50 > 0:14:57Sheila's husband enjoying his lunch. Would you be up for it, then? Not
0:14:57 > 0:15:04even a hesitation!I hate heights, but I will do it.And Gareth wanders
0:15:04 > 0:15:14into the garden.It is something I have always wanted to do.Really?
0:15:14 > 0:15:22He's in! And tears when he bagged earlier, Peter.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26earlier, Peter. Now the Gareth has got his team in place, it's time he
0:15:26 > 0:15:31started facing his fear of heights. And he's received a call to arms
0:15:31 > 0:15:40from skydive guru Dilys offering an intervention. She has a life mantra.
0:15:40 > 0:15:47Feel the fear and do it anyway. Is this something Gareth can embrace?I
0:15:47 > 0:15:53want so much to clean the back window, and can't get anyone to do
0:15:53 > 0:15:59it.You want me to go up the ladder? We will start with a small, a step
0:15:59 > 0:16:03ladder, and it will prepare you for skydiving. Right! I like what you
0:16:03 > 0:16:10have done there.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14have done there. You didn't need to Winnall like that. Go straight, go
0:16:14 > 0:16:20flat. I have got to show you how to do this. How do you feel now? I
0:16:20 > 0:16:28don't like it when I can't see the floor, my
0:16:28 > 0:16:32floor, my legs do go a little bit. But you are doing well, you are
0:16:32 > 0:16:38keeping your balance well and you are doing the window beautifully. I
0:16:38 > 0:16:46will think about you, and your ears will burn. Thank you so much, Alfie,
0:16:46 > 0:16:54it's wonderful. Now I have got one more job. This is as safe as
0:16:54 > 0:17:01anything. You'll be all right.
0:17:02 > 0:17:08Try and be logical about it. Just use your head and no that it is
0:17:08 > 0:17:17safe. You've got a good ladder, nothing can go wrong. (BLEEP)I
0:17:17 > 0:17:25don't think I can go up any more. Leave it there, you have achieved a
0:17:25 > 0:17:32lot. But just remember what you did. When I look at it from a ground
0:17:32 > 0:17:35level, that is pathetic. Anyone who can't go to the top of that and
0:17:35 > 0:17:41clean that window is not tough at all. So I think it's a bit of a
0:17:41 > 0:17:49realisation that maybe I do need to confront it.But before he can do
0:17:49 > 0:17:53anything else about his acrophobia, he needs to get his silver skydivers
0:17:53 > 0:17:57together. The jump is four weeks away, they all have to do a
0:17:57 > 0:18:02pre-assessment at Swansea airport to make sure everybody is fit enough to
0:18:02 > 0:18:09take a 12,000 foot plunge. The silver skydivers have gathered from
0:18:09 > 0:18:14all four corners of Wales. The youngest, Jane, is 60, the eldest,
0:18:14 > 0:18:21Eric, is 87. And there are reasons for wanting to do the jump are wide
0:18:21 > 0:18:26and varied, aside from raising funds for Sport Relief.Are you not scared
0:18:26 > 0:18:33by it?I have never been up in a plane.See you don't know if you are
0:18:33 > 0:18:38scared of heights?I have been on a ladder.And the sort who can say,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42you carry on, it will be fine, I will sit here and read a book. This
0:18:42 > 0:18:46is the first time I have ever said, I could do that.What made you want
0:18:46 > 0:18:54to do it?I have Parkinson's, and it is a downward slope, you are never
0:18:54 > 0:18:59going to get better. The thing to do is exercise, set yourself
0:18:59 > 0:19:01challenging targets, I have Parkinson's, but Parkinson's is not
0:19:01 > 0:19:10going to have me.What an amazing thing to be doing.Thankfully, Ken's
0:19:10 > 0:19:13illness has not progressed enough to prevent in doing the job, but like
0:19:13 > 0:19:17all of the silver skydivers, he has had to get a doctor's certificate to
0:19:17 > 0:19:25even get this far. And there are still potential pitfalls.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27still potential pitfalls. Do they have the core strength to keep their
0:19:27 > 0:19:33legs are near on landing, and are they the right weight and body mass?
0:19:33 > 0:19:39Sadly, not everyone clears this hurdle.I was lighter than that last
0:19:39 > 0:19:45year.Sheila, the cafe manager at the rainbow Centre, has a
0:19:45 > 0:19:50disappointing news.I am too heavy, and I won't get the weight off in
0:19:50 > 0:19:54time because of other commitments. It's not the end of the world, I
0:19:54 > 0:20:01won't go home distraught.Said the bat on passes to our husband, Dean,
0:20:01 > 0:20:08who is having doubts when it comes time to sign.It has got to be his
0:20:08 > 0:20:17decision. Just man up!It is about conquering your fear.It is a
0:20:17 > 0:20:24massive fear.You are scared as I am?Yes!Fear is good.In fairness,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29the room is awash with nerves.I am terrified. If Gareth is scared,
0:20:29 > 0:20:34every body could be scared, surely! But Gareth has brought his secret
0:20:34 > 0:20:42weapon along to calm the fears. His fearless skydive guru, Dilys., have
0:20:42 > 0:20:46everyone's attention? Thank you so much for putting yourself forward to
0:20:46 > 0:20:51jump out of an aeroplane. I'm not going to lie, I'm afraid of doing
0:20:51 > 0:20:55this. Who wouldn't be afraid? But there is a woman who when I first
0:20:55 > 0:20:59met her made me feel like actually it will be a great experience, so I
0:20:59 > 0:21:08am hugely honoured that doing it with us will be Dilys! So, introduce
0:21:08 > 0:21:13yourself.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18yourself.You will never regret it, and it is OK to be scared, but don't
0:21:18 > 0:21:23forget, scared misses excitement. You only just have to and turn it to
0:21:23 > 0:21:27excitement. I started when I was 54, and nobody could be more scared than
0:21:27 > 0:21:33I was. Why did it, and it blew my life open, so I tell anybody who is
0:21:33 > 0:21:37in a bit of a rut with the pressures of life, do a skydive, and it will
0:21:37 > 0:21:41transform you for ever.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50Delist has settled the team, nerves are under control and confidence is
0:21:50 > 0:21:53returning. Time for the gang to see the plane they will be jumping out
0:21:53 > 0:22:02of in 28 days.Where is first class? We do get your drinks?And time
0:22:02 > 0:22:11enough Gareth to gracefully adopt the perfect parachute position.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13the perfect parachute position.When we are about to exit the aircraft,
0:22:13 > 0:22:19we will get you ready, so what we ask you to do is to put your hands
0:22:19 > 0:22:29on his knees, pushed down.On top of his legs? Someone is pleased to see
0:22:29 > 0:22:50me! I'm scared doing it like this! Legs back.And go.
0:22:58 > 0:23:04Well, that's it, we are done! Thank you! I don't think I need to confess
0:23:04 > 0:23:09my fears, because I couldn't really hold them in.You were great. That
0:23:09 > 0:23:14is by far the scariest. When you are in the situation you are doing it,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17that rehearsal we were there and staying there, and the crowd is a
0:23:17 > 0:23:20few feet below, much harder than the real thing, and I would have been
0:23:20 > 0:23:27scared of had been there as well. She is brilliant.I can see the look
0:23:27 > 0:23:33in your eye.As always, Dilys put my mind at ease, because she has this
0:23:33 > 0:23:37way as the others do, putting things into perspective. She made me feel
0:23:37 > 0:23:42OK about it, but the biggest thing is I feel like I am part of a really
0:23:42 > 0:23:45good team. We haven't done anything together, we haven't achieved
0:23:45 > 0:23:51anything together yet, but we have a really good bond that we are about
0:23:51 > 0:23:58to do something really, really great.So, four weeks until liftoff.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Four weeks the Gareth to come to terms with his phobia of heights.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05And four weeks in which to get to know his silver skydivers little bit
0:24:05 > 0:24:13better. Starting with Ken. For Ken, intense physical exercise is central
0:24:13 > 0:24:18to managing his Parkinson's. He's invited Gareth to attend a work-out
0:24:18 > 0:24:21from people with Parkinson's at an independent physio programme he
0:24:21 > 0:24:29attends a Newport.My welcoming party! How are you doing?Travelling
0:24:29 > 0:24:41slowly.We go through to the gym, is it?I do this twice a week. Torture
0:24:41 > 0:24:46twice a week. It has all got to be high-intensity, high impact, these
0:24:46 > 0:24:49to 80% effort, that is what it is all about. It helps build new
0:24:49 > 0:24:53pathways through the brain, because at the moment my brain is slowly
0:24:53 > 0:24:57dying away, and all I want to do is prolong the time it takes to die
0:24:57 > 0:25:04away.Ken on the other participants do intense work-out twice a week.
0:25:04 > 0:25:10It's one way of managing their condition, but it isn't a cure.So
0:25:10 > 0:25:15can you explain to me exactly what Parkinson's is.It is a neurological
0:25:15 > 0:25:22condition where the part of the brain that controls movement, the
0:25:22 > 0:25:26neurons die away. You don't know you've got Parkinson's until about
0:25:26 > 0:25:3170% of the neurons have died away anyway, so I only left with 30%. It
0:25:31 > 0:25:35starts with a tremor, shaking hands. You get muscular rigidity and
0:25:35 > 0:25:41slowness of movement. It can lead to things like depression and dementia.
0:25:41 > 0:25:50There currently is no cure.Are you on...Medication, but the best way
0:25:50 > 0:25:54to stimulate your brain is through exercise.Right.Before giving
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Gareth a taste of the exercise regime, Ken and his friends have a
0:25:57 > 0:26:03special welcome laid on, their very own version of a hacker.Are you
0:26:03 > 0:26:19ready? Aka, the Paka. One, two, three, four, we're here at the door,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24five, six, seven, eight, we are here and we feel great. Float like a
0:26:24 > 0:26:32butterfly, sting like a bee.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37butterfly, sting like a bee.Oh, that! I have faced some hakas in my
0:26:37 > 0:26:46time, but that was class.Little tasks, they are good as well.And
0:26:46 > 0:26:54acrobatics!
0:26:54 > 0:27:03acrobatics! Badminton, fencing, football.I am 007.Which was your
0:27:03 > 0:27:13favourite James Bond?Sean Connery. And your favourite film?
0:27:14 > 0:27:20And your favourite film?Goldfinger. And your favourite drink?Vodka
0:27:20 > 0:27:25martini, shaken not stirred.He has an understanding of the disease he
0:27:25 > 0:27:29has, and understanding of his limitations, but he is not going to
0:27:29 > 0:27:35let it hold him down.With Parkinson's, it is achieving that
0:27:35 > 0:27:38movement that is the problem, because that is why we are slow,
0:27:38 > 0:27:43jerky.Say you need to go fast? And he is focusing on the things he can
0:27:43 > 0:27:48do rather than the things he can't do, which makes him an inspiring,
0:27:48 > 0:27:55amazing human being. And to see how hard he works just be able to get up
0:27:55 > 0:28:03in the and get out of bed. You know, people go training to do ironman
0:28:03 > 0:28:08triathlons, and Ken has to come to train to be able to walk potentially
0:28:08 > 0:28:15to the toilet or to be able to pick something up. Come on, come on! When
0:28:15 > 0:28:19I moan about being afraid of heights, when I see people like Ken,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23it gives me inspiration to challenge those fears and confront them, to
0:28:23 > 0:28:26take them head-on and to get through the other side, because unless you
0:28:26 > 0:28:30confront your fears, then I suppose you will never really know who you
0:28:30 > 0:28:35are or what you are capable of. Inspired by Ken's example, Gareth
0:28:35 > 0:28:40decides it's high time he faced his fears head-on, and so he has come to
0:28:40 > 0:28:43the Peak District. He has signed himself up a course called
0:28:43 > 0:28:48overcoming your of heights. But somewhere between the Severn Bridge
0:28:48 > 0:28:55and Derby, Captain courageous appears to have lost his bottle.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00Not only am I afraid of heights I don't want to overcome my fear of
0:29:00 > 0:29:07heights. That means I have to face it and that is scary in itself.This
0:29:07 > 0:29:11is Will. He is in charge of entertainment.The way this course
0:29:11 > 0:29:18works we will incrementally take you out of your comfort zone. We'll
0:29:18 > 0:29:22start small and then as you get used to it we will take you on to the
0:29:22 > 0:29:30next challenge.OK. Gareth is going abseiling. A gentle 3-step approach,
0:29:30 > 0:29:35amounting to block is no more than an oversized molehill, not that
0:29:35 > 0:29:40Gareth sees it that way.I am processing information. In other
0:29:40 > 0:29:51words, I am packing my pants.If all else fails, Gareth can always call
0:29:51 > 0:29:57on his inner Rainbow Centre.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00on his inner Rainbow Centre.Dilys is amazing. Today, if you have a
0:30:00 > 0:30:05wobble, were new to imagine that Dilys is there beside you, imagine
0:30:05 > 0:30:12what she would be saying to you.She would say, feel the fear and do it
0:30:12 > 0:30:23anyway, Alfie. Do it anyway.In Dilys, Gareth. In Dilys.All the way
0:30:23 > 0:30:29up. Pull yourself up. That is just demonstrating how the whole rig
0:30:29 > 0:30:37works.Come on, bed grills. Next challenge. Oh, hallow, that is a bit
0:30:37 > 0:30:53steep.Stand up without touching anything. Breeze. --
0:30:53 > 0:30:57anything. Breeze. -- breathe. You are doing really well. You are on a
0:30:57 > 0:31:03public toilet and the door lock is broken and both your legs are
0:31:03 > 0:31:14stopping the door from opening. You are all right bit. She is below you,
0:31:14 > 0:31:21saying, come on, Alfie. Alfie, well done.Every part of my body was
0:31:21 > 0:31:30tensed. I thought I was going to cry at 1.I was so scared. It is nothing.
0:31:30 > 0:31:39I actually feel quite pathetic. It is such a... I don't know. Such a
0:31:39 > 0:31:49vulnerable feeling.Having almost made the dog's dinner of step two,
0:31:49 > 0:31:55how will Gareth manage his final challenge, the 100 foot drop that is
0:31:55 > 0:32:00the cliff face of doom?When you are ready. All I wanted to do is come
0:32:00 > 0:32:06round this way a little bit. Feet coming to the edge. Keep going. A
0:32:06 > 0:32:14bit more. That is good. You are doing really well.
0:32:14 > 0:32:21doing really well.Breathe. I cannot stop moving. I can lock you off.
0:32:21 > 0:32:32That is fine. Good lads, Alfie. You are really there. Only a metre of
0:32:32 > 0:32:39the floor. Look down. Stand up. That was really good.I have not overcome
0:32:39 > 0:32:44my fear of heights but I have overcome my anticipation of being
0:32:44 > 0:32:49petrified before I face my fear of heights.It is not by moment you are
0:32:49 > 0:32:53having a fear of heights then you are fine. It is all part of a
0:32:53 > 0:33:05journey and you up on that journey. Gareth one, the sky, zero.A week
0:33:05 > 0:33:13later, Gareth is heading to auroral village in the Brecon Beacons. He is
0:33:13 > 0:33:18going to see the oldest member of the skydiving team. Three weeks ago,
0:33:18 > 0:33:24back at the pre-assessment, 87-year-old Eric was unable to pass
0:33:24 > 0:33:30the physical and was informed he would not be able to do the skydive.
0:33:30 > 0:33:38But, in this team, no one gets left behind.What was your first job?I
0:33:38 > 0:33:43was in the Fire Service mainly. After National Service. Did you do
0:33:43 > 0:33:49National Service?No.I didn't. 18 years ago Eric and his wife moved to
0:33:49 > 0:33:55Wales from Yorkshire to be near his daughter and grandchildren. Eric was
0:33:55 > 0:34:03widowed two years ago.Christmas 2015 she passed away.It seems like
0:34:03 > 0:34:11last week. Really? I bet you miss her every day. Yeah. How long would
0:34:11 > 0:34:19you have been married then?63 years.A lifetime.What was her
0:34:19 > 0:34:26name? Eileen Margret. Beautiful girl. We got married and never
0:34:26 > 0:34:34regretted it. We were lucky. It was lovely.A lifetime together. Does it
0:34:34 > 0:34:40make you feel lonely at times?Very lonely. Particularly in the winter
0:34:40 > 0:34:44because you cannot go in the garden and you do not see your neighbours
0:34:44 > 0:34:51at all, you see. It is very lonely. Eric's family visit as regularly as
0:34:51 > 0:34:56possible but living alone days can be long and solitary. For Eric like
0:34:56 > 0:35:04many who lose a life partner, isolation can be a daily burden.It
0:35:04 > 0:35:08is interesting to know why you wanted to do a skydive. Is it
0:35:08 > 0:35:14because you are lonely anyone to show people that you can still do
0:35:14 > 0:35:22things?It is an experience. It is something adventurous. I know things
0:35:22 > 0:35:27are sort of shutting down gradually but I don't want to go too quickly.
0:35:27 > 0:35:35No. What we want to do today is mainly something that is as close to
0:35:35 > 0:35:41the experience of skydiving...Are you going to blow me up?In fact,
0:35:41 > 0:35:48blowing upwards is kind of what Gareth has in mind. He wants to take
0:35:48 > 0:35:55Eric for an indoor -- indoor skydiving experience.You see that?
0:35:55 > 0:36:02Yeah. I need to fix my teeth so I do not lose them. Apart from that, it
0:36:02 > 0:36:12is OK.Two hours later and the dynamic duo are ready to fly.Are
0:36:12 > 0:36:16the teeth stuck in all right question what they are in.Try and
0:36:16 > 0:36:25push your hips down towards the neck. When you relax it would be
0:36:25 > 0:36:32easy. You do not want to go in there and start to fight the wind. OK?
0:37:07 > 0:37:17Did you enjoy that? Was it good? Excellent. Eric is here for fun. But
0:37:17 > 0:37:23Alfie is here as part of his training. Without jumping out of a
0:37:23 > 0:37:29plane, this is the closest thing you find to freefalling. And it will be
0:37:29 > 0:37:34a good guide to how much his confidence has improved since
0:37:34 > 0:37:35abseiling.
0:37:57 > 0:38:08Cheers, man. Thank you. I never thought I would enjoy that. Eric, in
0:38:08 > 0:38:1287 years you have been on this planet, did you ever think you would
0:38:12 > 0:38:17be doing that?No but never thought that at all. I thought I might be
0:38:17 > 0:38:25doing it there but not... Skydiving is a thing that you should not miss
0:38:25 > 0:38:28if you have got the opportunity to do it.
0:38:33 > 0:38:39With Eric unable to do the skydive, there is one other team member
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Gareth is concerned might not make it, Chris. At the pre-assessment he
0:38:43 > 0:38:49was given a set of exercises to strengthen his legs. Gareth has been
0:38:49 > 0:38:54to his hometown of Brecon to check on his progress and to find out what
0:38:54 > 0:39:01is driving him to get fit enough to join the challenge.Who is this?
0:39:01 > 0:39:07That is my dad. Chris was born 64 years ago in Zimbabwe, or Rhodesia,
0:39:07 > 0:39:15as it was then.I have five sisters and seven Brothers.The family. One
0:39:15 > 0:39:19of 13 children, Chris was always very bright but was discriminated
0:39:19 > 0:39:25against because of the colour of his skin.I love education. Growing up
0:39:25 > 0:39:29in Rhodesia, being black, you are not given a chance because it was
0:39:29 > 0:39:35taken from you. You were a failure before you started. Do you feel that
0:39:35 > 0:39:41is a burning thing inside you?I knew that. I knew I could do more.
0:39:41 > 0:39:47Chris made his way to Britain in the 1970s where he was finally able to
0:39:47 > 0:39:55realise his academic ambitions.I was taken to Shropshire.Having
0:39:55 > 0:40:00earned a degree in psychology, Chris spent his working life in the NHS
0:40:00 > 0:40:05specialising in clinical trauma and rising to become head of royal
0:40:05 > 0:40:12Gloucester infirmary.Opportunities are what you create.Nice. Nice. I
0:40:12 > 0:40:18will use that line.That is a brilliant line. You create your own
0:40:18 > 0:40:22opportunities in your own happiness. You create your own self-esteem and
0:40:22 > 0:40:29you know what you are capable of doing. For me, nothing phases me.
0:40:29 > 0:40:37Nothing is to be feared. It is only to be understood.And then, moving
0:40:37 > 0:40:41on, I suppose, doing a skydive, after all the challenges he faced,
0:40:41 > 0:40:55is it a big deal?No. No, it is not. Any challenges, any obstructions,
0:40:55 > 0:41:00any blockages, make us stronger people, determined people.Free.
0:41:00 > 0:41:07Makes you free. I think I love you. Honestly, I am honoured to have sat
0:41:07 > 0:41:13here and spoken to you. From that, shall we move onto making sure that
0:41:13 > 0:41:16you can do the skydive? The last time we were here, physically we
0:41:16 > 0:41:22were worried about you being able to lift your leg.Gareth has arranged a
0:41:22 > 0:41:30Pilates class for Chris. There are focused way to work on his muscles.
0:41:30 > 0:41:41-- a focused way.Hold it on the in breath.I think Chris has blown my
0:41:41 > 0:41:46mind he is such an amazing person. Tried to bring one leg down and keep
0:41:46 > 0:41:58the other up.He is not content with just doing it he wants to master it.
0:41:58 > 0:42:03Look at him! He is advanced already. Two weeks ago he could not lift his
0:42:03 > 0:42:11leg off the floor and now he is like Olga Corbett.
0:42:11 > 0:42:17Olga Corbett.I have always wanted a six-pack.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27The parachute jump is just three days away and the Silver Skydivers
0:42:27 > 0:42:33are out raising funds for Sport Relief. In a final attempt to lay
0:42:33 > 0:42:37waste to his acrophobia, Captain Alfie has agreed to one last stand.
0:42:37 > 0:42:44Feel the fear and do it anyway. With the help of Cardiff Central Station
0:42:44 > 0:42:4951, he will attempt to climb a fireman's ladder, almost three times
0:42:49 > 0:42:56the height of the cliff he abseil in Derbyshire.Right. I am not OK but I
0:42:56 > 0:43:02am going to do it. I know I don't have to do it but I am going to do
0:43:02 > 0:43:08it.As part of his height awareness training, Alfie has had anxiety
0:43:08 > 0:43:17counselling. How well has it worked? He is about to find out.
0:43:18 > 0:43:26Alfie, get up there! If you don't, we are not doing the skydive, we are
0:43:26 > 0:43:34on strike! , and, Alfie! Go on, Alfie! I can't believe this, well
0:43:34 > 0:43:48done, my boy. Go, go, go!Alfie, Alfie, Alfie!How much further?
0:43:48 > 0:43:57You're doing brilliant, Alfie, keep it going.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01it going.(BLEEP)one step at a time, keep concentrating.One step
0:44:01 > 0:44:10at a time, you are almost there now. How is that? Are you enjoying that?
0:44:10 > 0:44:21Love it!You're going to have to take a step over.How do I get over
0:44:21 > 0:44:27there?It's wobbling! Take your time.
0:44:27 > 0:44:39CHEERING Give us a wave, Alfie!I need to try
0:44:39 > 0:44:47and relax. I can't think about relaxing.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53relaxing.Remember those techniques you learned in Derby. Have a little
0:44:53 > 0:44:57breather, because we are going to take you up higher now. This goes up
0:44:57 > 0:45:02a lot higher. We're going to go and have a look and see how you feel,
0:45:02 > 0:45:08OK?Oh, my God!
0:45:08 > 0:45:15OK?Oh, my God!We are about four fifths of the way up now.That is
0:45:15 > 0:45:21high, isn't it? Rather him than me.
0:45:28 > 0:45:36Oh, my God, oh, my God.Do you want to go on to there?Is it wobbly out
0:45:36 > 0:45:51there?It is exactly the same. Take your time.
0:45:55 > 0:46:08Oh...And of course, what goes up must climb back down. In delicious!
0:46:08 > 0:46:14Have a think about this.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20Have a think about this. I'm only joking, there is no way we would let
0:46:20 > 0:46:28you do this.Oh!There is only a few of us do this, there is no chance
0:46:28 > 0:46:36you would be doing that.Right, OK, then. We can go down now.I think he
0:46:36 > 0:46:41has really done something amazing. If he can do that, we can do
0:46:41 > 0:46:47anything.
0:46:47 > 0:46:53anything.Dilys, that was so scary. When you said turn fear into
0:46:53 > 0:46:57excitement, I nearly turned it into something else!
0:46:57 > 0:47:02Mission accomplished, leaving one last challenge. The skydive itself.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06And after what Gareth's just achieve, it will be like falling off
0:47:06 > 0:47:21a log. Albeit a 12,000 feet tall one.
0:47:26 > 0:47:34Jump day. 16 senior citizens are hoping to become Silver skydivers.
0:47:34 > 0:47:40They are feeling fearless, adventurous, excited.Brilliant. I
0:47:40 > 0:47:47can't wait.Nervous.I was all right until I reach the airport. Now I am
0:47:47 > 0:47:55feeling, oh, my God.Nervous?Very. We have two parachutes, the main
0:47:55 > 0:48:05one, the reserve one. The main one, we plan on using. I have done 3000
0:48:05 > 0:48:11skydive is, and only once it hasn't worked. What is the worst that can
0:48:11 > 0:48:19happen?We die.No!I have never been in a plane, so I don't know
0:48:19 > 0:48:23what I will feel like, the runway, going up, I have never experienced
0:48:23 > 0:48:35it.And how is Captain Courageous? This was all started by me, so I
0:48:35 > 0:48:40should be the one on this day of all days to be the main motivator, but
0:48:40 > 0:48:44at the back of my mind is this huge niggling fear that I really don't
0:48:44 > 0:48:48want to do it, but I want to persuade everyone else, because I
0:48:48 > 0:48:53really want them to have this bucket list moment where they say, I did
0:48:53 > 0:48:58it, and I enjoyed it, and thank you Alfie forgiving me the chance. So I
0:48:58 > 0:49:02am trying to be the positive one and keep everybody motivated, but it's
0:49:02 > 0:49:10extremely difficult when you know deep down you are frightened.The
0:49:10 > 0:49:13Silver skydivers are expecting Alfie to deliver the team talk of his
0:49:13 > 0:49:18life. But he needs a pep talk of his own from his skydive Guru Dilys.
0:49:18 > 0:49:24Turn it upside down. The adrenaline, which is scared and is, turn it the
0:49:24 > 0:49:28other way and it is excitement. You are bursting with excitement. It is
0:49:28 > 0:49:33that twist.I know. The one thing that has got me out of bed this
0:49:33 > 0:49:38money to come here is the fact that you said once you are out on flying,
0:49:38 > 0:49:42it will be one of the most wonderful experiences ever. And that is the
0:49:42 > 0:49:47one thing that got me here. As much as I am afraid of doing this, there
0:49:47 > 0:49:51is probably nowhere else in the world I would rather be than here.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55Not because we are skydiving, but because I just feel like I am with a
0:49:55 > 0:50:00group of people who are doing something really special, and the
0:50:00 > 0:50:03whole underline of this is to understand what senior citizens are
0:50:03 > 0:50:09capable of doing. And if anybody has ever shown that message, it has been
0:50:09 > 0:50:14in the last couple of weeks and when I have been around to see some of
0:50:14 > 0:50:16you individually, and more importantly what collectively we are
0:50:16 > 0:50:19all going to do today, it is just such a great message that makes you
0:50:19 > 0:50:28and this room full of heroes and legends. So thank you from me, enjoy
0:50:28 > 0:50:34it, enjoy it, Glenn! Because if there is one person I have met on
0:50:34 > 0:50:40this whole journey who has taught me that you feel the fear and do it
0:50:40 > 0:50:43anyway, it is Dilys, so I put all my faith in what she has said, and so
0:50:43 > 0:50:46far everything she has said has come true, so I'm sure in a couple of
0:50:46 > 0:50:49hours when we have finished, we will all be sitting here thinking, why
0:50:49 > 0:50:53were we so afraid of the first place?You can do it and you will
0:50:53 > 0:51:02love it!Let's get out there!
0:51:02 > 0:51:08It is like a Pringles tube with wings.It is the moment of truth
0:51:08 > 0:51:12Gareth Thomas and his Silver skydivers. They will be jumping in
0:51:12 > 0:51:18small groups across five flights, with Gareth and Dilys flying last.
0:51:18 > 0:51:25Flight number one is Tony, 83. Gaynor, 64, and billing, 62 and
0:51:25 > 0:51:33petrified.Smile, Glenn!
0:51:36 > 0:51:49As they say, it just got real. God. Everyone will be exiting the plane
0:51:49 > 0:51:52at 12,000 feet above the stunning Swansea skyline. Starting with
0:51:52 > 0:51:55Gaynor.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Then Tony. Then Glyn.
0:52:16 > 0:52:28Oh, yes! Oh, good God! I can't believe I have done that.
0:52:30 > 0:52:45How was that?It was great!It was brilliant!Never again! It was
0:52:45 > 0:52:50awesome.
0:52:50 > 0:52:59awesome.And suddenly, it's raining Silver skydivers. Val, 77, Jane, 61,
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Margaret, 72.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09And then Colin, the man who at 71 has never been in a plane, let alone
0:53:09 > 0:53:15jumped out of it.
0:53:22 > 0:53:31Nothing about.Serious?Honest to God, that was wonderful.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34God, that was wonderful.And Ken, a man whose fortitude and zest for
0:53:34 > 0:53:37life in spite of Parkinson's has inspired Gareth so much.
0:53:48 > 0:53:57Thumbs up for the camera!And joining Ken's flight are Malcolm,
0:53:57 > 0:54:0369, Paul, 68, piloting his own maiden flight. And Evan, 74, pleased
0:54:03 > 0:54:09as punch to be up there.
0:54:10 > 0:54:15as punch to be up there.Thank you. That was great.
0:54:17 > 0:54:23That was great.Mate, how was it? Fantastic. Absolutely out of this
0:54:23 > 0:54:30world.Absolutely out of this world! Spencer, 65, has hitched a ride with
0:54:30 > 0:54:38Allen, 60. And Chris is having a quick check to see of his Pilates
0:54:38 > 0:54:43lessons are paying off.
0:54:44 > 0:54:51Chris, how was that?Awesome!
0:54:51 > 0:54:58Leaving one last planeload, and a doubting Thomas called Gareth.OK,
0:54:58 > 0:55:02Alfie, we are nearly there. This is the darkest moment before the dawn.
0:55:02 > 0:55:07You are going to do it, and it's going to be wonderful.All I'm
0:55:07 > 0:55:10thinking about now, I'm thinking not about me but about everyone else who
0:55:10 > 0:55:16has done it and why I have to do it, and that's it. That's it. If I
0:55:16 > 0:55:23enjoyed, I enjoyed, if I don't, I don't, but one way or the other...
0:55:23 > 0:55:27This is me facing probably one of the biggest fears I have ever had in
0:55:27 > 0:55:35my life, and if I overcome it, then I will be a very proud man.Pete,
0:55:35 > 0:55:43the Rainbow Centre minibus driver is first out. Next comes Dilys on John
0:55:43 > 0:55:50to number 1140.And last but by no means least comes Captain
0:55:50 > 0:55:55Courageous. Keeping his word and hopefully his dignity, is doing what
0:55:55 > 0:56:00he always swore to do, jump out with his team is Silver skydivers from
0:56:00 > 0:56:0812,000 feet. And down on the ground or the two people he wanted to
0:56:08 > 0:56:15inspire most to embrace adventure in their old age.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18their old age. His mum and his dad.
0:56:25 > 0:56:39Oh! What I do with my legs?Bend your knees.Yes!
0:56:39 > 0:56:47your knees.Yes!Are you doing it again?Oh, my God.Are you OK?Oh...
0:56:47 > 0:56:52Congratulations. You are the bravest, most wonderful man.
0:56:52 > 0:57:00Wonderful. You have done it! That is amazing, Alfie. I do so admire you.
0:57:00 > 0:57:05I genuinely did not want to do that. That was the scariest thing I have
0:57:05 > 0:57:09ever done in my entire life. And I reckon maybe tomorrow or the day
0:57:09 > 0:57:15after or the day after... But for the rest of my life, I can always
0:57:15 > 0:57:19look back and so had a great experience with a great group of
0:57:19 > 0:57:22people, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do it, so as much as
0:57:22 > 0:57:24I absolutely hated every minute of it, I wouldn't change it for the
0:57:24 > 0:57:35world. Everybody, I would just like to raise a toast the Gareth Thomas
0:57:35 > 0:57:37of the Silver skydivers, on a life affirming life changing moment.
0:57:37 > 0:57:43Cheers!
0:57:43 > 0:57:49When I first met Dilys, she said to me, we have to make every day of our
0:57:49 > 0:57:55life count. I am here today with a group of people that have shown me
0:57:55 > 0:57:58she was right. They made me do something I couldn't imagine doing,
0:57:58 > 0:58:01and they only did it because of the help of the strength that they all
0:58:01 > 0:58:04gave me, but the jump was all about raising money to help others who
0:58:04 > 0:58:09don't have that strength that support. Money raised through Sport
0:58:09 > 0:58:14Relief helps fund projects to support people whether they are five
0:58:14 > 0:58:17or 105. But it's down to your generosity to make this happen, so
0:58:17 > 0:58:30please get on it and donate.To donate:
0:58:34 > 0:58:39Sport Relief!