AN ADRENALINE-fuelled woman took to the skies to fundraise for a Dorset disability charity as she celebrated her 50th birthday.

Maggie Curtis, 49 of Winterborne Whitechurch, completed her second wing walk at 11am on Saturday, May 16 at Compton Abbas Airfield.

So far, Maggie has raised £150 for Dorset charity Diverse Abilities Plus - a charity supporting children and adults with learning difficulties in Dorset.

Maggie, who works for the charity's Coping with CHAOS service, said she did her first wing walk for Parkinson's UK in Essex in April and loved it so much she wanted to do it again.

She said: “My husband suggested I do the wing walk again to celebrate my 50th birthday later this year and I was delighted. I then thought it was a wasted opportunity if I didn't raise funds for a local charity at the same time.

“Diverse Abilities do such important work as a charity and it's vital that the work they do can continue.

“On the wing walk the views were breathtakingly beautiful and the whole experience was amazing; it was even better the second time round.

“I think doing the wing walk so close to home and having my friends and family with me to share my day made the day so special and more memorable.

“Completing it has got to be the most exciting exhilarating experience of my life.”

In the past, Maggie has completed a skydive and abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.

She said the wing walk was 'ten times better' than her skydive and encouraged others who were thinking of fundraising for charity to give it a go.

The idea of wing walking - moving on the wings of an airplane during flight - started in air shows and barnstorming during the 1920s and has evolved into a popular fundraising pastime.

Diverse Abilities' Coping with CHAOS service is a parent run organisation that supports Dorset families caring for a child, children or young person with a disability or special educational need.

Jenny Pearce, communications manager for Diverse Abilities, said: “It is fantastic that Maggie has completed a wing walk in aid of Diverse Abilities, which will support us in raising funds for our vital services for children and adults with disabilities.”

To donate to Maggie's wing walk visit justgiving.com and search for Maggie Curtis.

For more information about Diverse Abilities visit diverseabilitiesplus.org.uk

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