Olympian Jon Goodwin says ‘going into space with Parkison’s will be magical’

The man who is today set to take a giant leap for Parkinson’s sufferers and become the oldest Briton in space says he hopes his voyage will inspire others. Jon Goodwin will also become the first Olympian in space on the Virgin Galactic trip. At the New Mexico launchpad in the US, the 80-year-old said: ‘For me to go to space with Parkinson’s is magical. ‘I hope this inspires all others facing adversity and shows them that challenges don’t have to inhibit or stop them from pursuing their dreams.’ The proud ‘Stokie’ from the village of Baldwin’s Gate, Staffs, missed out on a canoeing medal at the 1972 Munich Games. He later focused on business interests and the millionaire paid $200,000 for a Virgin Galactic flight in 2005. Mission setbacks for the Virgin project included an October 2014 crash when a co-pilot was killed. That same month Jon was diagnosed with Parkinson’s but he said Virgin billionaire Richard Branson told him he felt ‘confident that I can meet the challenge’. Jon Goodwin to become the oldest Brit in space (Image: Pete Stonier) He has since climbed up and cycled down Mount Kilimanjaro. Jon’s countdown as Astronaut 011 is due to begin at 4pm at Spaceport America. He will join Antiguans Keisha Schahaff, 46, and her 18-year-old Aberdeen University student daughter Anastatia Mayers, who won their £350,000 seats. With the two pilots, they will be strapped into the VSS Unity and fly to around 50,000ft attached to an aircraft. Rocket-powered Unity will then detach and soar into space at nearly Mach 3. Jon to go on the Virgin Galactic (Image: AP) The astronauts will float for a few minutes and see Earth from 300,000ft. Unity will then glide back to the runway. On the ground watching will be Jon’s family, including wife and fellow Olympian Pauline. He admitted feeling ‘apprehensive’ but stressed that it was an opportunity ‘I couldn’t miss’.