Twenty minutes before Papamoa real estate agent Greg Purcell was due to jump out of a plane from 10,000 feet, he was only just finding out.
“What? No!”
Unknown to him, the Ray White Mount Maunganui and Papamoa franchise owner was the lucky, or unlucky, winner of the Throw Your Boss From A Plane draw, yesterday.
The event, made possible by Payless Plastics Tauranga, called for employees to dob in their bosses for the 10,000ft fall.
Katie Phillip had been working for Mr Purcell for more than two years and thought he was the perfect candidate for the “prize”.
“Just because he’s awesome, he’s funny, he’s such a good person to work for.
“He’s always playing tricks on us so it’s pay-back time,” another staff member said.
But the look on Mr Purcell’s face told a different story.
“I would laugh if it wasn’t me,” he said, breaking into a sweat.
“I hate heights.”
When Mr Purcell saw The Hits presenter Will Johnston turn up at his door, his hands went to his face as he realised exactly what he was in for.
“That is the face I’ve been waiting for this entire competition,” Johnston said as hysterical laughter broke out from the Ray White staff.
Before Mr Purcell had the chance to back out, he was driven to Tauranga Tandem Skydive with his workmates in convoy and his suit was swapped for a jumpsuit.
“I’m crapping myself. I’ve avoided this stuff in the past.
“The moment he walked in I know what was happening … My first reaction was ‘how am I going to get out of this?’ Fight or flight?”
As the previous jumpers returned to the base, Mr Purcell quizzed them for some encouragement.
“Tell me good things. I’m sweating like a maniac.”
As the plane carried the nervous Mr Purcell higher and higher, Johnston said it was about the third time they had done this.
A few years earlier they had “Throw Your Teacher” but this was the first Throw Your Boss.
“When we’ve done this in the past, the reaction is always the same.
“Disbelief then hating the people who nominated them and then they’re just stoked when they get back to earth.”
As the blue and white parachute appeared through a cloud, the waiting crowd cheered and welcomed Mr Purcell back.
Once a short bout of motion sickness wore off, Mr Purcell was beaming.
“I can’t believe what I’ve just done,” he said, still wearing his shiny dress shoes from the office with his jumpsuit.
“Take that, Ray White employees. That was the best present you’ve given me,” he said.
Johnston said he hoped they would be able to do another Throw your Boss next Year.
Source: Bay of Plenty Times
Photos: John Borren