Portsmouth Bowel Cancer Appeal: 71-year-old abseils Gunwharf's Spinnaker Tower for cause close to her heart

Robina Talbot-Ponsonby, of Petersfield, abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower in aid of Portsmouth Bowel Cancer Appeal, a disease that she has been diagnosed with twice in her life. The feat was even greater considering Robina’s fear of heights with her three sons going down with her for support.

Despite her fears, Robina completed the challenge on Sunday, May 26. She said: “It was absolutely terrifying! It’s that terrifying moment when you climb out over the barrier and you think ‘oh my god!’. As I was more nervous than my son that I went down with, they put me on the less windy side, but that is a bit hairier in the beginning.

“I had to creep round the corner and that was no fun at all. My son took the windier side but the wind did threaten to blow us away from the building at one stage which was quite alarming.”

Robina’s three adult sons, Henry, James, and Alexander, accompanied her on the trip down. She said: “It was great to do it with my sons, they were marvellous. I don't think I would have been able to do it without them there. I went down with James, he’s a doctor so I made the joke that I needed to go down with him just in case. Henry and Alexander followed after us and they were all much braver than me and took both hands off the rope.

It was a family affair on the day with one voice in particular standing out to Robina as she got closer to the ground. She said: “As we got lower, what was wonderful is I could hear people encouraging and shouting for me. The voice I heard best of all was my 6-year-old grandson, Alfie, and that was such a lift.”

Robina was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012 with the disease returning three years later. On both occasions she was cared for by Jim Khan, who was a kind and patient figure during a difficult time. Jim runs the Portsmouth Bowel Cancer Appeal and Robina knew she wanted to do something to help.

That is where the idea for a charity abseil came from, and Robina wanted to thank everyone that has supported them. She said: “I am incredibly grateful to all of those that sponsored us. We have raised over £10,000 so far from the JustGiving page as well as cash and cheque donations. It’s amazing, I am so grateful to everyone that donated, it’s very generous.”

Robina is still welcoming donations via her JustGiving page which can be found here. While pleased to have completed the challenge, it is not something she will be rushing back to do again, stating: “Every time I think of it I get a cold shock.”