A MEMBER OF Wiltshire Walking Football has faced his fears with a paragliding jump in Turkey.

Alphonso Archer, who is also a Tackle Prostate Cancer Trustee, took to the skies wearing his Tackle Walking Football bib.

Alphonso, from Chippenham, has always had a fear of heights but wanted to challenge this fear with a paragliding jump which took place on August 24 in Oludeniz, Turkey on Babadag mountain.

Tackle Prostate Cancer has recently teamed up with Wiltshire Walking Football Club to help raise awareness of prostate cancer.

The charity have supplied all the Wiltshire recreational sessions with new bibs which will benefit the 600 players who play across the area on a monthly basis.

They have also provided both the Over 50 and Over 60 team with a new set of shirts each along with new bibs.

Tackle has recently appointed Alphonso as a trustee to the charity. Alphonso has close connections with Wiltshire Walking Football Club.

During his treatment period, Alphonso took up walking football which mentally and physically helped him to get through what was a very challenging time getting used the hormone and radiotherapy side effects.

Alphonso said: “When Wiltshire Walking Football received the bibs we wanted to get the players quickly engaged with the name and talking about prostate cancer.

"So to encourage players to wear the bibs not just in a football setting we came up with a challenge of asking players to send in their best holiday pictures of them wearing their bib in unusual places and different countries.

"We have been encouraging donations which have started to come in from a couple of league matches with over £200 in the pot at this early stage."

He added: "The whole experience was extremely scary but with the Gravity paragliding team you immediately felt loads better knowing and feeling that you were in the hands of professionals.

"In fact, there are a lot of parallels here with prostate cancer where even before you see a doctor you have that fear knowing something is not quite right with your body but you put off making the appointment.

"I personally want to see this jump as a metaphor for people with prostate cancer to tackle their fears head on and open up by talking to professionals, friends and family early as this increases their chances of beating this disease.”