Great-grandad who underwent a quadruple heart bypass reaches halfway point for his year-long fundraising challenge in aid of Warwick charity

Tony Cunningham, from Coventry, has already raised more than £4,500 for Molly Ollys by clocking up 2,500 miles on his early morning laps around the city’s Memorial Park.

Tony is approximately 450 miles over his halfway target and well on his way to covering the equivalent distance of Coventry to Detroit by the time he completes his final walk on New Year’s Eve.

He said: “Compared to when I started out six months ago I can now say I’ve walked the walk, rather than just talked the talk – walked the equivalent of Coventry to Reykjavik in fact.

“It’s been tiring and hard going at times.

“The floods in January were the hardest. I was cold and got absolutely soaked some days.

"There was one day when I was struggling to get round and I thought to myself, what have I taken on here? It suddenly dawned on me what a mammoth challenge I’d set myself, but a guy who was jogging the opposite

way suddenly stopped in his tracks and just started applauding me.

"I felt quite emotional at that moment and it gave me a mental boost to carry on.

“I’ve been blown away by all the support I’ve received from park visitors and employees and park run participants on Saturdays.”

He added: “Over the last few weeks, while walking I met three mums whose children had wishes granted by Molly Ollys who approached me when they saw the branded bib I was wearing.

"It was quite emotional but gives you a big lift and reminds you, when you have a bad day, why you’re doing it.”

Tony is spurred on every day by the memory of his late wife Jackie, who died of cancer last year. He said: “I feel she is with me in spirit. I think she’d be cheering me on while still telling me I’m mad.”

Warwick-based Molly Ollys was established following the death of Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw’s eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer and marks its tenth anniversary this year.

The charity supports children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses and their families. It helps with emotional support and donates wishes, therapeutic toys and books to children directly and through hospitals across the UK.

Rachel said: “We have been staying in close contact with Tony since he set off on this mammoth challenge for us at Molly Ollys. It is beyond most people’s imagination to even consider walking 10 miles per day every day of 2022.

"Even when it has been pouring with rain or freezing cold, Tony is out there bright and early.

“We are so grateful to this amazing man who has raised – and is continuing to raise - lots of money for the charity, whilst also raising lots of awareness of the work that we do.”

The walking challenge marks a long-awaited return to fitness for the grandad of 11 and great-grandad of six who underwent lifesaving heart surgery four years ago – and whilst still recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder following an accident.

To sponsor Tony go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/anthony-cunningham5