Published on 19 October 2021

Adrenalin junkie Susan Dixon was one of five DRWF supporters that took on the challenge of abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.

Self-confessed adrenalin junkie Susan Dixon has just added a fundraising 100-metre abseil down Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower to a long list of dare-devil feats.

The 70-year-old Portchester grandmother recently celebrated her 70th birthday by taking on the Spinnaker abseil down the iconic landmark with two friends to raise funds for a locally based diabetes charity.

Our brave DRWF fundraiser preparing to abseil.

Susan, a retired WREN, said she loved the experience: “I always wanted my family to look up to me. It went far too quickly for me and I think I’ll have to do it again!”

On her reasons for supporting DRWF, Susan said: “I know too many people living with diabetes, and I wanted to raise the profile of this locally based charity and boost their funds to help more people.”

Susan abseiled with good friends Dotty Jackson and Charlene Pirie as part of a team to fundraise for DRWF.

Susan is no stranger to attempting new challenges on landmark anniversaries. It started with a parachute jump when she was 40 and a trip on the Route 66 across the United States aged 66.

The Spinnaker Tower abseil has now got her thinking about doing a tandem parachute jump next.

Tim Green, Head of Community Fundraising at DRWF, said he was inspired by Susan’s bravery: “We were all really heartened by Susan’s attitude to life.

“I have done the Spinnaker Tower abseil and I can tell you that it’s a difficult process lowering yourself out at the top. Susan was so gung-ho it was amazing to see. She’s already raised more than £300 so far.”

Susan abseiled with good friends Dotty Jackson and Charlene Pirie
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