John Precedo needs votes to help make his dream come true.
A press cutter from South Norwood is asking for readers help to get him into space.
John Precedo, 43, has entered the Lynx Space Academy competition, a contest endorsed by Buzz Aldred which will see one lucky winner on the first flight of the Lynx SXC space shuttle next year.
To get through to the next round, John needs as many votes as possible, with thousands of applicants eventually being whittled down to the final few.
“I have always wanted to go into space, ever since I knew what space was. I even still have a folder I made up about space travel when I was 7 years old,” said the father-of-two.
“I am a big science fiction fan, and to actually go into space would be a dream come true.”
If John is in the top 200 in the country when the first stage closes this month, he will be invited to take part in the Lynx Space Academy’s National Challenge, where he will compete against other potential astronauts in a series of NASA-style physical and mental challenges.
“I’m hoping that I could win this, not just for me but for my boys as well,” he said.
“When I was small, it was an exciting time: we had the Apollo missions, Skylab, the Voyager and Viking space probes. I’m hoping that if I won this it would inspire my sons.”
Four finalists will go through to the Global Space Camp in Orlando, Florida, and the ultimate winner will be invited by Buzz Aldred to fly 103 kilometres up into space.
As well as trying to drum up votes, John has started making other preparations for the competition.
“If I get through the first stage, I’ll be competing against 200 other people. Plus, the flight itself involves pulling 4G at one point. So I’ve started going to the gym to get fit,” said John.
“Please vote for me. Every single vote counts.”
You can vote for John at http://tinyurl.com/johninspace.
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