{"id":313803,"date":"2024-06-13T12:40:49","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T17:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=313803"},"modified":"2024-08-13T12:00:09","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T17:00:09","slug":"teen-down-syndrome-rejected-skydiving-scheduled-jump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/teen-down-syndrome-rejected-skydiving-scheduled-jump\/","title":{"rendered":"Teen rejected by skydiving company successfully jumps with different business"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Update 8\/13\/2024<\/strong>: A teenager who was turned away from his planned charity skydive in June because he has Down syndrome has finally been allowed to jump.<\/p>\n

Lloyd Martin, age 19, successfully completed<\/a> the jump with Hinton Skydiving Centre<\/a>, after GoSkyDive denied his scheduled jump after he had already arrived earlier this summer. His mother, Cheri Hooper, said she was thrilled that Hinton staff helped him live his skydiving dream.<\/p>\n

“The skydiving centre were incredible with him, he was absolutely beaming as he walked off with the crew,” she said. “I think he is still a little shell-shocked but he keeps watching the footage and reliving it.”<\/p>\n

She added that the instructors at Hinton took the time to get to know Lloyd and that his assessment before jumping went well.<\/p>\n

Lloyd holds the Guinness World Record for being the youngest person with Down syndrome to complete a marathon and will complete the Great North Run in September as well as a half marathon in October, according to the BBC.<\/p>\n

6\/13\/2024<\/strong>: A teenager was allegedly turned away<\/a> from a planned charity skydive because he has Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

Lloyd Martin, age 19, had raised \u00a32,500 for his gymnastics club leading up to a sponsored tandem skydive with GoSkydive. Martin, who set a world record<\/a> at this year’s London Marathon when he became the youngest person with Down syndrome to complete a marathon, was cleared to skydive by his doctor. According to Martin’s mother, Ceri Hooper, his doctor said he was “fit to jump” and the company was informed that Martin has Down syndrome when the skydive was booked. Yet after they raised funds and drove the 86 miles from their home town for the jump, they were told it would not be possible.<\/p>\n

“After we’d got through the briefing and checked in and everything, they then said, ‘No, he’s got Down’s syndrome, he can’t jump,'” Hooper said. “Tell us at the point of booking, don’t let us all take days off and drive for an hour and a half to get there and then tell us when he’s disappointed.”<\/p>\n

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Today 19 year old Lloyd Martin became the youngest known person with Down syndrome to complete a marathon.<\/p>\n

Thank you for showing us what\u2019s possible, Lloyd. \u2764\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/9jwWATtgCM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 TCS London Marathon (@LondonMarathon) April 21, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n