Aviemore heroine takes on a ‘wheelie’ scary challenge for animals
An 86-year-old Aviemore granny took her life in her hands with a daredevil drop from the Falkirk Wheel.
Ann Wakeling told the Strathy: “I was terrified - not by the drop, not the thought of dangling in clear space, but just getting over the fence to the start!”
Ann, known to many in the village after her many years helping to run the local library before her retirement, took the 100-feet plunge because of a horrendous story of animal cruelty in the Highlands where a dog had been left mutilated after being stoned.
“I saw a picture of the Collie which had been so cruelly attacked that it had lost an eye,” she explained.
“Ever since seeing that I felt I had to do something and I signed up to supporting the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“There is an annual abseil for SSPCA supporters at the Falkirk Wheel so I thought, ‘I’m still fit enough to throw myself off a building, so why not?’ I signed up for it and launched a JustGiving page.”
Her modest £350 target was swiftly overtaken and donations are still being collected. Nationally the charity’s target of £2,500 was being approached as the Strathy went to press.
The Falkirk Wheel Abseil has seen hundreds of fundraisers dropping from the world's first and only rotating boat lift, with incredible views over the countryside.
However, few can boast of picking up their memento T-shirt after completing the stunt in their latter 80s.
No experience was necessary as training is given on the day, the charity explained, but Mrs Wakeling said: “In my earlier years I served for a time with the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team - my late husband Edwin and I had come to the area decades ago to help establish the strath’s reindeer herd, so we were great hillwalkers and I loved being up on the heights.
“I did some training with the CMRT but it always involved having my feet on firm ground, usually good hard rocks.
“Not only was it a long time ago but I had never hung around in clear space and that was weird.
“With nothing to ‘stand’ on you were totally at the mercy of the harness, the rope and the guy up top who had the other end!
“But the most unnerving thing was the very start. There is a safety fence and no gate, you simply have to climb over it. It leans back so you’re feeling pretty helpless for a moment or two and that was really strange.
“But I was driven by a good cause. I wanted to help provide warmth, shelter, medication and food for Scotland's animals, to be the voice for our animals and I never had any regrets to taking on the challenge.
“As to how long it actually took I couldn’t say - they made me put my watch inside my vest! Apparently it was too dangerous to have anything else of mine dangling in space…”
Summing up, she told the Strathy: “It was a good day, brilliant sunshine but a cool breeze. We all had lots of supporters encouraging us all. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
“I want to thank all of my sponsors who have donated so generously - and I’m happy on behalf of the animals to receive more.”
For now though, Ann has said goodbye to the dizzy heights and returned to digging into the depths. Her passion for some time has been archaeology and it is time to return to her studies, she said.
Contributions can still be sent to her campaign page.
