Office Worker Becomes First Female Army Reservist to Complete Parachute Regiment's Grueling Entry Test
Grace Cussons, 28, juggled training for the demanding P-Company selection with a high-flying corporate job to achieve her goal.
Grace Cussons, 28, has become the first female Army reservist to successfully complete the United Kingdom's Parachute Regiment's demanding pre-parachute selection test. Cussons was among 23 soldiers who passed the all-arms course earlier this month, out of 87 who attempted it.
Cussons succeeded on her second attempt, completing the test on the anniversary of the death of her friend and inspiration, Captain Lizzie Godwin. Captain Godwin, who had served in the Household Cavalry and participated in state ceremonial duties including the Queen's funeral procession, died in a car crash on September 5 of the previous year at the age of 28.
"She was a huge, huge inspiration for me as a woman in the military, and the last conversation that we had before she passed, she said to me: 'You need to go and give it a try. What's the worst that's going to happen?' And so after she passed, it felt like my duty to try and follow in her footsteps," Cussons said. She hopes her achievement will encourage other women in the military to take on challenging courses.
The pre-parachute selection is designed to assess soldiers' fitness, mental fortitude, and determination. It includes a 10-mile march carrying a 16kg rucksack to be completed in under two hours, log and stretcher races, and an aerial confidence course. The final phase involves milling, a 60-second boxing match where participants are not permitted to defend themselves.
Unlike some previous female soldiers who completed the test, including Captain Rosie Wild in 2020 and Private Addy Carter in 2022, Cussons had to balance her rigorous training with her demanding role as a senior commercial strategy manager for Procter & Gamble, which often involved 12-hour workdays. She also applied for new job roles during her training.
Cussons, who serves with 3 Squadron of the Honourable Artillery Company, previously failed the test earlier in the year after struggling with the seventh mile of the 10-mile march. For her second attempt, she engaged a former Coldstream Guards soldier as a personal trainer and intensified her weekly training sessions to eight.
She will now proceed to the basic parachute course, where she will learn parachute proficiency and officially become an airborne soldier. She will be presented with her maroon beret upon completion.
Captain Godwin had also achieved notable milestones, earning the Sword of Honour at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as the most outstanding officer from her intake. At the time of her death, she was serving at the Army Training Regiment in Pirbright. A statement from the Household Cavalry described her as "an utterly dedicated officer who worked tirelessly and always for the good of her soldiers."