One Step Beyond! BY GERRY COLEMAN
IT ALL STARTED AS A SIMPLE PHONE CALL ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO WHEN OUR FAMILY FRIEND KATE, WHO SUFFERS FROM THE INSIDIOUS AND DEBILITATING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS CONDITION, SAID SHE WAS CONSIDERING DOING THE ANNUAL ‘CENTRAL PARK PLUNGE’ ON NOVEMBER 14, 2021.
4 | THE IRISH SCENE
The Plunge is a fundraising event event run by Zenith Promotions and Multiple Sclerosis Western Australia (MSWA) and sees participants abseil from the top of Perth’s tallest building, Central Park, which stands at a frightening 52 floors or 220 metres high. This is a fundraising charity event with limited spots, whereby you pay a $100 registration fee and sign up to raise a minimum $1,100 for your nominated charity out of a choice of nine. The phone call was to my wife Julie and Kate asked if she would be interested in partnering up with her and taking the plunge! As Julie couldn’t do it, she asked me if I would be interested and it was a flat NO, as I’m scared of heights and have never abseiled before. However over the course of a few days I thought more and more about it, and thought that if Kate was considering doing it, who am I to wimp out considering that I’m a fairly fit and healthy sexagenarian, and even though this challenge would take me well and truly out of my comfort zone I agreed! Over the next few days we were trying desperately to rope in others to join our team of four for MSWA as registered spots were running out quickly. Then unfortunately Kate was unable to commit to the Plunge. So this let me off the hook but burning in my mind was the challenge and having already committed mentally I decided to ask my 28 year old son Ben if he would be interested in partnering up with me and join two others on the day to make up a team of four. “But you know dad I’m absolutely petrified of heights – I did this once in a Year 9 school gym and what a horrible feeling taking that step off the edge and putting your whole weight and trust in a harness and rope”. Over a couple of days I badgered Ben and he thought about it a little more and said if you’re mad enough to do it dad then I’ll have a go. We both signed up. Over the next few months Ben kept saying, I don’t know how you talked
