TEENAGE action girl Annaliese Woodger came down to earth with a bump after leaping 3,500 ft out of an aircraft.For while the 16-year-old thought her charity parachute jump a "fantastic experience", she didn't have such a happy landing.

By Richard Cornwell

TEENAGE action girl Annaliese Woodger came down to earth with a bump after leaping 3,500 ft out of an aircraft.

For while the 16-year-old thought her charity parachute jump a "fantastic experience", she didn't have such a happy landing.

After drifting worryingly close to some trees, she corrected her position but didn't have enough time to do the landing she had practised in training – coming down heavily and severely bruising her ankle.

But although Annaliese has now been forced to put her feet up for a few days and recover, she is already vowing to have another go and can't wait to get back up in the skies again.

"She came down with a bit of a thump and a thud and it was quite worrying, but fortunately her ankle was not broken but just very badly bruised," said her mum Ann Woodger, of Deben Way, Felixstowe.

"She said it was a fantastic experience and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Even though you have had this intensive eight hours of training beforehand, once you jump out of the plane it's all very different from practising on the ground.

"She was having to remember all things she had to do, and of course make sure she enjoyed the jump as well! We are very proud of her."

After the Evening Star publicised Annaliese's plans to do the jump from an airfield at March, Cambridgeshire, for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, Ipswich company ID Boilers contacted her to help with the cost of the jump.

"We want to thank the company for all their help – it was wonderful. We also had other donations, too, and with the money raised from friends and family, she hopes to be able to give around £250 to the RNLI," said Mrs Woodger.

Annaliese, a member of Felixstowe Sixth Form, tries to do something each year for charity and last year took part in a swimathon, and next year plans to run the London Marathon. She keeps fit with regular visits to the gym, by playing badminton and going on 17 mile runs.

WEBLINK: www.rnli.org.uk