By TANIA PHILLIPS
IT’s not every day your wife and daughter tell you to go jump off a building – but it’s all in a day’s work for Southern Downs man Eugene Thompson.
Eugene is an abseiling instructor so he’s no stranger to leaping off structures, but on Saturday 17 May he will take his biggest leap of faith ever travelling down 10 Eagle Street in Brisbane – a height of 140 metres.
It’s all part of the 36 Floors Challenge – a fundraiser for the Queensland programs for the Save The Children Australia organisation.
“I have been teaching abseiling since 1995 and 110 metres was my previous record,” he said.
“But my wife and my daughter dobbed me in. Vicky (his wife) asked me what I was doing on 17 May and I said I was teaching in Coffs Harbour. No you’re doing 36 Floors she told me. You realise that’s one-and-a-half football fields right, I said?”
Eugene said while he isn’t really scared of heights he would have to “phyche myself into it”.
“You just don’t give yourself time to think about it!” he said.
“And it’s for a good cause.”
So is he expecting it to be fun?
“Half way down I’ll probably really enjoy it,” he said.
“Not at the top though,” he added laughing.
If you would like to help Eugene raise money (he needs another $180 to qualify to do the event) head to 36floors.gofundraise.com.au/page/EugeneThompson.
