Rosie (centre) was joined in the zip wire challenge by some of her scary hotel staff
Bournemouth hotelier Rosie Wallace ‘took the plunge’ for a charity close to her heart – launching herself off the 820ft pier zip wire, dressed as a witch.
Rosie, the general manager of the Days Hotel Marsham Court in Russell Cotes Road, took to the skies on Halloween, raising £468.75 for the children’s mobility charity STEPS.
Safely back on dry land after making her descent she said: “When it was first suggested I do this, I thought: “Why not? It sounds fun.
“But climbing up that very high platform to the wire was pretty terrifying in itself.
“Then launching myself off the zip wire, holding a broomstick into the night sky, was a whole different kind of scary.
“But I have had hotel staff and family here supporting me and it has been great fun.”
She continued: “I did the jump for STEPS because my nephew Harry Westwood, who is five and lives here in Bournemouth, was born with a club foot.
“Harry’s parents had been told he was going to be born with the condition at his 20 week scan.
“Poole Hospital put them in touch with Southampton Hospital and they put them in touch with the charity, which they immediately joined and got some really good advice from parents who were going through very similar issues.”
Loredana Guetg-Wyatt, the treasurer of the STEPS charity lives in Lilliput, Poole.
She said: “STEPS is the national charity which offers support and advice for those affected by lower limb conditions such as club foot and hip dysplasia.
“Every year in the UK over 25,000 children are born with a lower limb condition, and by taking a big leap for STEPS, Rosie is giving these children the best possible chance to walk.”
Rosie Wallace is no stranger to death-defying feats.
In 2014 she was presented with the first National Coastal Tourism Academy Customer Service Award after helping to save the life of one of her hotel guests, Lew Bell.
Mr Bell, 84, from Worksop, was staying at the Days Hotel Marsham Court in February 2014, when he suffered a massive heart attack in his room.
Using CPR and resuscitation techniques, Rosie worked on Lew for eight minutes until paramedics arrived and took over.
The very first Pier to shore Zip Wire experience in the world, the new Bournemouth Pier attraction gives an exhilarating “zip surf” over the waves to the beach.
Juan Carlos Vazquez from the Pier Zip said: “Since we opened, RockReef has been involved in many charity fundraising events, but we have never had a witch!”
