Northampton dad skydived 15,000ft and reached fundraising target

A father of an autistic child aimed to raise £1,000 to fund sport and social activities at a Northampton support group for dads of children with special needs and disabilities.

Piotr Maciaszek, “proud” father to Emily and Simon, booked a 15,000ft skydive for July 31 to raise money for SENDS 4 Dads – and after two cancellations because of the weather, he completed his challenge.

The organisation provides information, tips and sessions on navigating everyday life for fathers who want to support the additional needs of their children, and Piotr has so far raised £1,077 and exceeded his £1,000 target.

The father-of-two said: “I’ve been through three episodes of clinical depression since 2010 and whilst recovering from the most recent episode, I promised myself I’d do something life-affirming – like skydiving.

“When I was still unwell, I watched skydiving videos that inspired me. I was determined to prove to myself that anxiety is not going to rob me of doing something exciting and scary.”

Piotr, 43, found it difficult to control his anxiety the night before and while boarding, but it helped to take deep breaths and focus on listening and following the instructions he was given.

He said: “The footage makes it seem like we are floating through the air, but we were plummeting to the ground at 125mph.

“The freefall was the best part of the whole experience, which lasted for around a minute.”

It then took six minutes to reach the ground with the parachute.

Piotr described the views as “mesmerising” and although he was scared, he wanted more time to take in the scenery.

They reached such a height, he could see the North Sea from where they were in Cambridgeshire, and the oxygen content was only half of what you would get at sea level.

He was the first to board the plane and the last to leave, as he was the only one to skydive from 15,000ft.

After the cancellations, Piotr decided to camp in a tent by the airfield to make sure he was the first in the safety brief queue, in case the weather took a turn for the worst.

Piotr hopes to do another jump soon, or complete a course that will allow him to skydive independently.

This plan to fundraise comes after Piotr’s 11-year-old son Simon was diagnosed with autism in 2016, and he did not know where to go for help and support – as the majority of sessions were catered heavily to mothers.

After coming across SENDS 4 Dads’ ‘dad’s breakfast’, he knew it was the place for him and said: “Not only does the group provide invaluable information, it offers moral support and an opportunity to socialise.

“Although parenting a child with special needs is very fulfilling, it also brings its own set of challenges and requires almost boundless energy and mental fortitude to fight for the right support in education and daily life.

“Prejudice and lack of inclusion are sadly still common.”

Piotr’s Just Giving page will remain active for another two-to-three weeks.

You can donate here.