Taking the leap and making the difference

Katrina (Katie) Gemal is a sports therapy practice educator at the University of Essex. She has been volunteering and fundraising for MS-UK alongside her students for years but recently decided to jump out of her comfort zone – quite literally – to raise incredible money.

I first got involved with MS-UK through my role within the Sports Therapy course at the University of Essex. I started working as a Practice Educator just over three years ago, and part of my role involves taking, and now organising, Sports Therapy students to support events that MS-UK are involved in and fundraising for.

One of the biggest events each year is the London Marathon, where I supervise Sports Therapy students as they provide post-race massages for runners fundraising for MS-UK. I’ve also supervised students providing massages and first aid at events such as the Colchester 10K and The Big Purple Games, where I’ve even led warm-ups for participants – something that has definitely helped build my confidence and public speaking skills.

This year, I decided it was my turn to take on a fundraising challenge myself. I signed up to do a charity skydive for MS-UK. Now, I had never skydived before… and I’m actually pretty scared of heights! But I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone for such an amazing cause.

At first, fundraising was a little slow, and I wanted to do something more than just endlessly posting on social media and WhatsApp groups. So, I decided to host a charity quiz night – and it turned out to be a huge success!

We raised over £300 in one evening through quiz entries, Heads and Tails, raffles, and some incredibly generous prize donations from local companies. I never imagined myself as a quiz host, but I absolutely loved it… maybe I’ve found a hidden talent.

Then came the big day of the skydive. Clear skies, nervous laughter, and suddenly it was time to jump. And honestly? What an incredible experience! The adrenaline rush was unbelievable, and I laughed the entire way down. The views were amazing, and the feeling of accomplishment afterwards was something I’ll never forget. I would definitely recommend it.

Altogether, I raised £725 for MS-UK, and I’m incredibly proud of what I achieved – from fundraising and speaking to local businesses for raffle prizes, to hosting an event and, of course, jumping out of a plane.

Volunteering and fundraising for MS-UK has been such a rewarding experience. Not only does the charity do amazing work supporting so many people, but getting involved has also helped me grow in confidence, challenge myself, and meet some brilliant people along the way.

I’m really looking forward to continuing my work with MS-UK and their fantastic team, and I would absolutely encourage anyone thinking about volunteering or fundraising to get involved. You never know where it might take you!

If you’re interested in getting involved with volunteering, we’d love to help you. Have a read here on best ways to get involved