As a former military man, and formation skydiver, jumping out of a plane is nothing new for Corrimal real estate agent Phil Murray.
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Jump number 225 was a little different however, with the 66-year-old flying through the sky on Thursday morning in red budgie smugglers and flippers.
It was all for a good cause, with Mr Murray using the occasion to launch the 14th annual Great Ocean Pool Crawl, which will take place on March 5.
It’s an event he established to raise funds for Cancer Council NSW, and he hopes this year’s event will take the total fundraising tally to $200,000.
‘’There’s virtually nobody who’s not been affected by cancer, whether directly or indirectly,’’ Mr Murray said.
‘’Since I started the event I’ve known a lot of people affected, I’ve lost some loved ones, and almost 10 years ago my stepson Craig was diagnosed with leukaemia.
‘’He’s a survivor and has been taking part in the Pool Crawl alongside me for some years.’’
More than 100 people are expected to take part in the event, which takes in six ocean pools from Coalcliff to Towradgi.
‘’We often get some well-known names – for instance (former Hawks’ player) Glen Saville and (Keira MP) Ryan Park have been great supporters,’’ Mr Murray said.
The MMJ North agent swims 10 laps of Towradgi ocean pool each morning so is more than ready for the big event next month.
Meantime, he relished the opportunity to take part in the jump facilitated by Skydive the Beach this week.
‘’I’ve done hundreds of jumps but most of them before the age of 25,’’ he said.
‘’Prior to that I spent five years as a reservist in the Australian Army where I did around 30 jumps, but the majority I did as a member of the Rylstone Rebels 10-Man Star Skydiving team.
‘’My last jump was five years ago, again to launch the Pool Crawl, and it’s just such an exhilarating feeling.’’
Cancer Council NSW Southern Region spokewoman Caitlyn Zalewski said all funds supported the Illawarra community through cancer prevention programs and support services for patients and carers.
‘’That includes programs like the free transport to treatment, as well as sun safety programs for schools.’’