Nottinghamshire man with MND to make 15,000ft charity skydive

A man with motor neurone disease (MND) is to undertake a charity skydive from 15,000ft (4,500m).

Liam Blaney, 54, of Nuthall, Nottinghamshire, was diagnosed with MND in 2021 and is now in a wheelchair.

He is doing the skydive in Devon later with his wife Nicky and a team of 10 others.

Mr Blaney, who has also climbed Snowdon in his wheelchair, said: "I wanted to do something that was challenging but also a little bit mad."

He said he aimed to raise more than £7,500 for the MND Association.

Mr Blaney, a former karate teacher who also works in quality assurance, said he and his friends had regularly undertaken extreme challenges for charity down the years.

"This year, it was more a case of finding something I could do," he said.

"[The disease] took my legs really quickly. I can still stand, but I have no movement. It's starting to take my arms as well.

"With this challenge, all I have to do is get into a plane and roll out of it."

The tandem skydive follows his ascent of Snowdon in 2022, in which he was pushed by friends and raised £7,500 for the Backup Trust.

He said his aim was to beat that target via online fundraising on JustGiving, if possible.

"If the weather stays nice, it will be incredible," he said. "It will be one minute of freefall and then the rest you spend just gliding around.

"I'm half looking forward to it and half dreading it."

Linda Allen, director of fundraising at MND Association, said: "We are absolutely delighted Liam has chosen to do this remarkable fundraising in our name.

"To attempt a skydive when you have MND and are a wheelchair user is no mean feat and we wish him all the best with his jump."

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