For most over-50s, the idea of jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet would be terrifying.
But former Angus policewoman Jacqui Low has used the sky-high goal as inspiration to help her shed a remarkable five and a half stones in just ten months.
And Jacqui is about to tick a tandem skydive off her bucket list as a fundraiser for a canine charity close to her heart.
The 52-year-old will take to the skies over Perthshire on June 26 for Bravehound.
It trains dogs as companions to help heal the invisible wounds of troubled veterans.
Devoted to Bravehound
In 2017, Jacqui gifted the charity a pup from the litter of her family sprocker spaniel, Fern.
It has transformed the life of a former soldier who struggled after leaving the Army.
A second dog from Fern’s litter of 11 has also become a Bravehound.
“The dogs have been saviours to their veterans,” said Jacqui.
“Both have said if it wasn’t for their dogs they wouldn’t be here today.”
However, lockdown brought setbacks for Jacqui, both on a personal level and in her attempts to fundraise for the charity.
But she used them as a driver to fulfil her daredevil dream.
“A skydive has always been on my bucket list, but over the last few years I have been over the weight restriction to do a jump,” she said.
“After a few health issues and hospital stays in 2020/21, I knew I had to do something about my weight.”
Slimming World success
“I joined Slimming World Healthy eating plan in May 2021,” she said.
And just 10 months later, she reached her target weight in time for her birthday.
It meant Jacqui had lost a remarkable five and a half stones, going from more than 17st to 11st 10lbs.
“Obviously my health was the most important thing,” she said.
“But I’ve always wanted to do a skydive so that really kept going all the way through.”
Jacqui was a policewoman in Tayside and lived in Kirriemuir, but has now settled near Laurencekirk.
So she’s been an inspiration to other members of the Slimming World group there.
“The easy bit’s done – the hard part is keeping it off,” she said.
“I’m really looking forward to the skydive – but they might still have a to kick me out of the plane when I get up there!”
Jacqui has set up a fundraising page and is already well on the way to her £1,000 target.
Antis’ story
Bravehound trains companion dogs for veterans diagnosed with conditions including PTSD, anxiety and depression.
The Scottish charity remains committed to the welfare of the dog and veteran over the pet’s lifetime.
And there is a special theme behind the name of each dog.
They are all called after recipients of the Dickin Medal – the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
Jacqui’s pup was named Antis, a German Shepherd which received the honour for Second World War gallantry.
Antis even became a movie star for a film version of a book about his WWII namesake.
War Dog was penned by bestselling author Damien Lewis, a patron of Bravehound.
It is the story of how the dog became inseparable from Czech airman Robert Bozdech after he found it as a pup.
Together they flew dozens of missions over hostile German territory at the feet of his master.
The project led to Tommy and Antis to meet the daughters of Mr Bozdech in an emotional encounter in 2018.
Conversation