A young woman from Liphook is bracing herself for the ultimate adrenaline rush - leaping from an aircraft at 15,000 feet!

Eleanor Casely will skydive above Dunkeswell Airfield on April 20 (Easter Sunday) to support Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

She hopes to raise vital funds to help provide more life-changing hearing dogs to people living with deafness.

Eleanor explained that she first got a taste of adventure when she did a bungee jump in Croatia. She said: “This feels like a whole new level though. It’s nerve-wracking, but knowing it’s for such an important cause makes it all worthwhile.”

According to Eleanor, the scariest part will be the moments leading up to the jump.

“It’s the mental build-up - standing at the open door of a plane, knowing you’re about to step out into the sky,” she said.

“I’m hoping that once we’re out, the adrenaline will take over and there’ll be no time for second thoughts!

As someone with hearing loss, Eleanor has had to make special preparations for her skydive.

She explained: “Because I won’t be able to hear any instructions during the jump, I’ll be relying on visual cues and making sure the instructor is fully briefed beforehand. I’ll also take my hearing aids out before the jump. They definitely wouldn’t survive the wind!”

Watching from the ground will be Eleanor’s biggest supporter – Fig, her hearing dog.

“Fig will be there cheering me on in her own quiet way, safely on solid ground,” Eleanor laughed. “She’s already been by my side through so much. It feels right to have her there for this too.”

Eleanor lost her hearing when she was 17, due to a genetic condition and her father has the same condition.

Adding: “I always knew it could happen, but it was still a big adjustment. I grew up watching him quietly get on with life and that gave me a strong foundation. That resilience has shaped how I’ve handled my own journey.”

Everything changed for Eleanor in September 2024 when she was partnered with her hearing dog Fig.

“Fig has completely transformed my life”, she said. “She keeps me safe, makes me laugh every day, and somehow knows what I need even before I do. I didn’t realise the weight I was carrying until she lifted it.

“Now I go out alone with confidence. I sleep more soundly. I relax in ways I didn’t know I could. Fig doesn’t just help me by alerting me to important sounds like smoke and fire alarms, she’s the reason I feel truly independent, and like someone always has my back.”

The skydive is more than just a personal challenge for Eleanor.

“It’s a way to celebrate how far I’ve come and to honour the impact Fig has had,” she said.

“I want to show just how much these dogs can change a life. Every donation helps give another deaf person the chance to be partnered with a dog like Fig. This jump is for them.”

Anyone wanting to support Eleanor and donate to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, can visit her JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/eleanor-casely-1.