A daredevil pensioner from Leeds has ziplined 270m down Ilkley Moor, facing speeds of up to 40mph in a bid to raise money for the hospice that cared for her late husband – despite facing her own battle with leukemia.
74-year-old pensioner Jean Piper has defied all odds in her quest to raise funds for Sue Ryder, all because of the amazing care her late husband received at Wheatfield before his passing 13 years ago
She took part in the ‘Zip the Cow’ Ilkley challenge, which first involved an attempt to climb the cow before hurtling down on a 270m-long zipline at breakneck speeds.
She herself has battled leukemia on and off for 20 odd years, but writes on her fundraiser page that during the lockdown she has been receiving further treatment for her leukaemia and sadly is no longer able to participate in the things that have helped raise money over the years, such as skydiving, wing walking and ‘looping-the-loop’
Whilst she says those “days are over” she adds that her “determination to continue to raise money for this amazing charity remains as strong as ever.”
“Fifty years ago, I took up rock climbing and have vivid memories of hanging upside down on the Cow & Calf Rocks. Alas this is just a memory and having fractured my vertebrae in 2018 climbing the rock will be my biggest challenge,” she continues.
Daredevil Jean has long been a thrill-seeker, previously taking part in five skydives to fundraise for charity – the last in 2014.
However, according to the pensioner “everyone wants to do it now” and it’s “nothing new” – hence her decision to tackle the ‘Zip the Cow’ challenge.
She managed it this week, raising £780 for Sue Ryder and smashing her initial £500 target out of the water.
Speaking to the YEP after completing the challenge she said: “This was one of the things I’ve never done and always wanted to do.”
“A funny thing was they didn’t catch me at the other end so I came halfway back. I said ‘Have a got a free go?’ she added.
If you’d like to donate to Jean’s fundraiser, the page is still open and can be viewed here.
Feature image – Sue Ryder.
