A young couple from Writhlington School Sixth Form will be bravely throwing themselves from a plane by taking part in solo 10,000 ft sky dives this summer in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The traditional tandem skydive would see them strapped to an instructor, but the courageous pair will be going it alone!

Eighteen-year-old Catherine Diffey, from Peasedown St John, has been battling cystic fibrosis since she was born, having to undergo a lifesaving operation when she was just 24 hours old. Her boyfriend, Logan Read, from Bathwick, will also be taking part in a separate sky dive, to thank the charity which has helped to keep her alive.

The pair will each jump out of the plane at the same time as an instructor, but will have to pull their own parachute cord and land themselves following a day of training.

Catherine says: “Cystic Fibrosis is the most commonly inherited disease in the UK. It affects the digestive system, lungs, sinuses, liver, reproductive systems and so on. Years ago, a baby born with CF was not expected to reach their teenage years, and certainly not adulthood.

“Thanks to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, I have a burden of intensive treatments to keep me living for longer, such as physiotherapy, over fifty pills a day, nebulisers, IV antibiotics, x-rays and feeding supplements. But this can only slow down the progression of the disease – there is still no cure, and life expectancy is still just over half of that of a healthy person in the UK.

“Despite all of this, I do regular exercise as a gymnast and cheerleader to maintain my lung function, and we are both white water kayakers. So, we made the decision to skydive while I am still healthy enough to do so.

“We’ve already collectively raised £842, with more coming in. It is through the hard work of fundraisers that the treatments for sufferers like myself have raised the lifespan by over a decade, and I want to give something back to those who have helped me over the years with my CF, and fight for the right for all of us to keep breathing.”

If you would like to donate to Catherine and Logan’s fundraising effort, visit:?http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/catherine-cf-skydive/ or http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/logan-cf-skydive/