Jumping off a mountain 1,172 metres above sea level might seem a bit extreme to most people, but a mother and daughter from Hull, are determined to say ‘thank you’ to a veterans’ charity that has made such a difference to their family.
Anne Duncan, aged 59, who lives in Sutton-on-Hull, and her 28-year-old daughter, Sophie Ombler, will take on the daunting challenge of paragliding at Les Gets resort, in the Mont Blanc mountain range, in France, as a way of paying something back to Help for Heroes for the support received by their husband and stepdad, Peter Duncan.
Peter was a highly respected medic in the navy, serving for 41 years. He saw action in the Falklands and Afghanistan, and received an MBE, in 2017, in recognition of his service. Unfortunately, stress and trauma from his experiences led to a catastrophic stroke in 2022, and, consequently, Peter is now severely disabled – and his wife became his carer overnight.
Anne explained: “It’s my 60th birthday this year and I wanted to take on a challenge. When I told Peter what I was planning, he said to just go for it. I’ve never done anything like this before, but, as a family, we want to do something to show our appreciation for Help for Heroes.
“We are so overwhelmingly grateful to them for the support they’ve given us. Peter needs 24-hour care, and the Charity has been there for us. They’ve helped us to get physiotherapy and speech therapy in place; they’ve helped with wheelchairs and other specialist equipment; and they’ve provided Peter with mental health support to help him deal with trauma and PTSD.
“We’ve also been able to take advantage of respite care on offer, which has given me the chance to re-charge my batteries.”
Anne and Sophie are hoping to raise £1,000 for the Charity through their dare-devil challenge on Saturday, 1 March. Sophie’s work colleagues from property management company Ultralets, in Beverley, are supporting them to reach their total and she plans to live-stream her mum’s launch from the mountainside before she takes off herself.
Anne added: “We’re both determined to do this for Peter and to support the wonderful team at the Charity, who seem like part of our extended family, and who reached out to us when we were most in need.”
Help for Heroes supports veterans and their families, from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service – and locally embedded civilians who worked under the command of UK Armed Forces. The Charity remains at the side of veterans who are struggling, providing life-changing support for as long as it takes.
If you would like to support Anne and Sophie, visit brnw.ch/21wPQu9
If you or someone you know needs support, go to helpforheroes.org.uk