73-year-old ‘daredevil’ wing-walks for Wakefield Cathedral

Marta Smith said she has always been an adventurous person and was thinking of a fundraising challenge after raising more than £2,000 by abseiling the 32 metres down the Cathedral tower back in September 2015.

“I have never been afraid of heights. I am an optimist and a trusting person; I know they will not drop me,” she said.

“And I have always been a bit of a daredevil. I was a very daring toddler; as far as I remember, my mother was always sewing what clothing I had ripped that day climbing trees or something.”

Smith, who turns 74 soon, told Premier she goes to the gym regularly, and does tai chi and yoga all the time.

She’s been a member of the Cathedral since the early 1990s and told Premier it means a lot to her.

“The cathedral is an open building. You should see the amount of people that walk through those doors to find an oasis of peace,” she said.

“The cathedral is just a wonderful space. You just sit there and think ‘I’m at peace’ and if you I can do anything for a place like that I will.”

Smith reached her £5,000 fundraising goal which will help create a new Song School at the Cathedral and renovate facilities.

A 73-year-old Christian woman wing-walked across a small bi-plane on Saturday to raise funds for Wakefield Cathedral.