Mike (77) ignores doctor’s orders to do brave charity wing walk

Mike Hind-Woodward, who lives at Whissendine, has so far raised more than £4,000 from his intrepid efforts for the charitable work of The Rotary Club of Melton Mowbray Belvoir, which he has been a member of for five years.

It followed two years on from another adrenaline-fuelled experience he enjoyed on the world’s longest and fastest zip wire in north Wales, when he raised another £2,000 for club funds.

The wing walk, which he performed in the skies above RFC Rendcomb Airfield in Gloucestershire, was all the more incredible since Mike has been weakened by his intensive cancer treatment.

He told the Melton Times: “My oncologist and my doctor didn’t want me to do it and my wife, Marilyn, was having kittens on the ground, apparently.

“But I had raised all this money and I just didn’t want to let anyone down.

“It was quite an arduous experience because I had a few health problems for a few weeks leading up to it.

“One of the issues I had was my goggles weren’t the best quality and the force of the air was coming up under them as the plane was banking and I couldn’t see very clearly for a while.

“But I must say the views were wonderful when I was up there.”

The wing walk was due to take place last year but had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mike was keen to do it when restrictions were eased because the Rotary club missed out on so many potential fundraising opportunities over the last 12 months.

The aircraft took him up to 1,000ft as he bravely went ahead with the flight on June 15, his seventh wedding anniversary.

“I was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer two years ago and I was given one to four years to live,” added Mike.

“All I can do is take one day at a time but experiences like the wing walk certainly help me to cope with it all.”

He is also a keen amateur grower of English oak and horse chestnut trees and recently donated 250 trees to Launde Abbey and a quantity to Whissendine Sports Club on behalf of the Rotary club.

Go online at https:/[email protected]/mikeswingwalk or the Melton Belvoir Rotary Club Facebook page if you would like to donate money for Mike’s wing walk.