87-year-old Leeds woman with vertigo to tackle Cow and Calf zipline for Sue Ryder charity

An 87-year-old woman from Leeds is set to jump from the top of the 'cow' at the Cow and Calf Rocks on a zip line - despite having vertigo.

Brenda Pearson of Fulneck will be participating in the 2022 edition of 'Zip the Cow', which involves walking to the top of the 'cow' and sliding down from it on a zip line at speeds up of to 35 miles per hour.

placeholder image
Read More
'Doing this really means a lot to me': Leeds pensioner and his dog Harley raise ...

She will be tackling this challenge on July 23 despite the fact heights can cause her to experience vertigo.

Brenda will be tackling this challenge on July 23 despite the fact heights can cause her to experience vertigo (Photo: Simon Hulme)placeholder image
Brenda will be tackling this challenge on July 23 despite the fact heights can cause her to experience vertigo (Photo: Simon Hulme)

The challenge is being completed in order to raise money for Sue Ryder, a charity which cares for people suffering with terminal illnesses, neurological conditions and bereavement.

Brenda, who turns 88 next month, has a personal reason for getting involved having lost several family members to cancer.

She has lost three of her brothers, her sister, her brother-in-law and grandmother to the illness, and has a niece in remission.

Her son Andy Pearson said: "We've had lots of people close to us pass away from various different cancers.

Brenda Pearson, 87, will be participating in the 2022 edition of 'Zip the Cow' (Photo: Simon Hulme)placeholder image
Brenda Pearson, 87, will be participating in the 2022 edition of 'Zip the Cow' (Photo: Simon Hulme)

"Personally, my mum just thinks the hospices do so much and she just wants to try and be able to help in any little way she can."

It is not out of the ordinary for Brenda to take on a bold challenge as she has a history of being adventurous.

Andy said: "She's always been quite outgoing and adventurous.

"It's something she's always fancied having a go at. She wanted to go down to the ones down in Wales but I think the cost put her off.

"Not a lot surprises me with my mum usually. I just said 'great, you'll have to let us know the dates and we'll come and support you'. She's done all sorts.

"She passed her water diving qualification at 70 so she could dive with whales. She went all the way to Antarctica, she flew out to Chile on her own and boarded a vessel to go out to Antarctica and when they got there, the seas were too rough to be able to go diving."

She is current accepting donations on her JustGiving page and you can donate here.

Celebrating 135 years of telling Leeds' stories
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice