Wounded veterans to compete at the Armed Forces Parachute Championships

Four wounded veterans are to represent BLESMA whilst taking to the sky to compete at the Armed Forces Parachute Championships 2016.

The team will consist of Ed Appleby, Alex Slegg, Ryan Goodman and Stuart Sneddon. They will be competing at 4-Way Formation Skydiving against able bodied teams from the Armed Forces.

All members taking part have been injured during or after service and between them share only two working legs – Ed Appleby is a single amputee from Exeter Devon, Stuart Sneddon is a single amputee from Falkirk, Ryan Goodman is a double amputee from West Midlands and Alex Slegg is paralysed from the chest down and from Cheshire.

The team will take firm grips on each other before jumping out of an aircraft at 10,000ft closely followed by a cameraman who will record the jump for the judges to assess. Whilst the judges award points based on how well the team can leave the aircraft the majority of points are awarded to the team that can change their formation the most time before they have to deploy their parachutes. Skydiving is one of the few sports where people with disabilities can compete against able bodied people on an equal basis. This is one of the many reasons that BLESMA promotes the sport amongst it’s members. 

“We are all very excited to take part and against able bodied people as few sports allow that to happen,” says Ed. “It’s a real chance for us to prove something.” All members of the Trans4mers 4-Way team were taught to skydive whilst on a BLESMA sponsored Expedition to California. This activity has resulted in Blesma Members meeting in their own time, forming their own team, practicing  and competing! 

The Armed Forces Parachute Championships 2016 will take place over the weekend of Saturday 20^th August at Army Parachute Association, Netheravon please feel free to come along and support us!