My hilarious, radiant, talented friend Zara Free lived with cancer many times throughout her 31 years, and was taken from us too soon in 2020. Until the very end her concern was only for the happiness of her family and friends and squeezing the most out of the time she had remaining with them. 

Zara and I met at Birmingham PR agency WPR in 2012, and for those eight treasured years I marvelled at her zest for life and her ability to inject energy into everything she did. A livewire with a raucous sense of humour, an intellect who was intensely curious about the world around her, a loving, generous friend - she was determined to make the most out of life.

Her final request was that we her friends and family live for her. So now, with that in mind, I’d like to attempt to fill a small part of the gap in my heart with some amazing memories in her honour.

WPR and Zara's family kindly chose me to be a recipient in the Live Free Fund, a WPR programme to provide funding for team members looking to undertake life-enriching experiences.

On Boxing Day I'll travel to Australia, following in Zara's footsteps, and jump 15,000 feet out of a plane. The thought terrifies and exhilarates me, but I know she’ll be with me the entire time - and it's my time to show just a fraction of the courage she showed. More importantly, I want to do this to raise money for one of the charities that supported Zara and her family so well - Severn Hospice in Shropshire. Thanks for donating what you can!