Hi, this is me, after a tandem skydive I did for charity about 18 months ago. I jumped from 10,000 feet, free falling for the first 5,000 feet at about 100 miles per hour, I was securely attached to somebody wonderful, all I had to do was enjoy the view. I like this photograph as I look and felt like I had just conquered space.

My name is Marie Gildea, forty something! and I am now a part-time mature student. I left school at sixteen with seven O’levels and I have been employed in various jobs since, including stable girl, working on a production line, retail sales assistant, assistant manageress, shelf filler, secretary and now presently Administrator / PA here at the University of Wolverhampton.

As well as my part time study, I work full-time and most of my spare time is spent looking after my two children and taking them to their many hobbies. When I am not being a taxi driver to my children I enjoy horse riding, walking and going on holiday whenever possible!

I hated school, I hated the routine, the homework and usually the teachers. As everything was assessed by examination only I discovered I could get through by learning everything 'parrot fashion'. I found I could memorise detail, sometimes word for word, re-write it in an exam, then forget it - so never actually learnt anything, I got no enjoyment or felt any real achievement from doing this.

My enjoyment and achievements in life came through things like throwing myself out of an aeroplane, para-sailing whilst on holiday, or long distance running - completing several half marathons including the Great North Run in 2004. These only provided short term enjoyment and distraction and I found myself in my late thirties needing something else, ... I NEEDED a different kind of challenge.