A YOUNG Army recruit from Liverpool conquered her fear of heights to jump from a plane in memory of her serviceman boyfriend.

Laura Bishop achieved her 14,000ft charity sky dive just seven months after losing her boyfriend Simon Beadel.

And now the 21-year-old is preparing to take on another challenge by returning to the Army as a military nurse.

Simon, a 25-year-old RAF physical training instructor, died from complications after contracting double pneumonia on his return from Kosovo in January.

The couple always planned to complete the skydive for Help for Heroes together to help Laura, from Calderstones, conquer her fear of heights.

She said: “I think Simon would be so proud. I was strangely calm beforehand, it was like he was there with me.

“But if he had been there he would have been laughing his head off at my scared face in the plane.

“This was something we always said we would do together for Help for Heroes. He wasn’t frightened, but he said it would be good for my fear and it was.

“It was the best thing I’ve ever done. If there is one thing losing Simon has taught me, it is you have to go for it. When your time’s up, your time’s up. But until then you have to seize every day.”

Simon was an only child and his death was made even tougher for his family because he was extremely fit and healthy .

Former Broughton Hall High School pupil Laura met Simon, from Swindon, last June through a mutual friend at the base last June.

He was sent to Kosovo in November.

Laura completed two years with the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps herself before she was forced to quit with a knee injury two years ago.

As soon as she recovered, she applied to rejoin the corps.

She said: “I’m just waiting for my date to start. I did all of the training – fieldwork and training with the rifle – and then I had to have a year out with the injury and I’ve been waiting to get back in.

“I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy. My dad Brian was in the Army, and my uncle was in the parachute regiment.”

TO SPONSOR Laura, visit her page at www.justgiving.com/laurabishop3