Great-grandad joined by ex-pro footballer for year-long walking charity challenge
A 75-year-old great-grandad who underwent a quadruple heart bypass is pledging to repeat a mammoth challenge walking ten miles every day throughout the year to raise funds for a Warwick children’s charity.
Tony Cunningham, from Coventry, is hoping to raise a huge total for Molly Ollys by once again completing laps around the city’s Memorial Park. Day one of the 365 days started in late November when he was seen off by local dignitaries, including The Lord Mayor of Coventry Mal Mutton.
But this time the football fan is also changing things up by swapping the park for a pitch, walking the equivalent of ten miles around Coventry City Football Club stadium, on 5 December. And he’ll be in good company, being joined by ex-City player Dave Busst.
Birmingham-born Busst made over 50 appearances for Sky Blues before suffering a broken leg during a game against Manchester United in 1996 which ended his footballing career. He then moved into management at Solihull Borough and, later, Evesham United. He now works as head of Community at CCFC and Sky Blues In The Community while also playing for local side Leamington Veterans.
Busst said: “When we heard about the charity and Tony’s fantastic fundraising ambitions to support it – and the fact he’s doing this mammoth challenge for the second time in three years – it was an inspiration to us all the Club and Sky Blues in the Community. And I look forward to joining him on his first stadium walk on Thursday.”
It is the latest fundraising challenge for Liverpool-born Tony, who clocked up over 5k miles (around 10 million steps) on his early morning laps between 1 January and 31 December in 2022, travelling almost the equivalent distance of Coventry to Phoenix in Arizona – even overcoming health issues and the most extremes of weather conditions along the way.
Despite this Tony missed only seven 6am starts on the advice of doctors, insisting the charity cause as well as the support he received, made him determined to see the challenge through.
He said: “Having done it once before what I am least looking forward to are the extremes of weather. The storms 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 the mental boost I needed to carry on.
“Walking ten miles a day every day isn’t easy, but I knew that when I set out to do it and the same applies this time around. Although doing it again with the benefit of hindsight does make me question my sanity!
“I’m three years older. I'm sure there'll be days where I'll ask myself what have I let myself in for? But once you've signed up for it you don’t want to let anyone down.
“But what I’m most looking forward to is meeting all the people again I used to meet during the walks as well as hopefully making some new friends. Somebody said to me once while I was doing the last fundraiser ‘this park is a much brighter happier place and it's all down to you,’ which was lovely.”
Tony looks forward to being regularly accompanied on some of his walks by an old school pal he was reunited with during one of his park walks, Bernard Fitzpatrick.
He is also being supported from afar by his partner Christy Martin, in Texas after meeting online towards the end of his last fundraiser in 2022.
He admits he’s better prepared this time around, armed with a new head torch – for those early winter morning starts – as well as ensuring his parked car is stocked with first aid and food and drink supplies for necessary pit stops.
He said: “This year I will be clocking up some of my miles walking around Coventry City’s football ground, The CBS Arena, with a former player at the Club which I’m looking forward to. Hopefully some of the other West Midlands clubs will allow me to do the same at their grounds or training facilities too.”
Molly Ollys was established in 2011 following the death of Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw’s eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer.
The charity works to support children with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families and help with their emotional wellbeing. As well as providing wishes, they donate therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.
Olly The Brave forms part of an Olly The Brave pack that has now been handed out to more than 70 hospitals or health centres, along with a set of books from the charity’s exclusive Olly The Brave series. The mascot has his own Hickman line and a detachable mane which helps to explain and normalise the effects of chemotherapy.
Part of more than £4m raised to date, has also been used to fund the first Molly Olly consultant in paediatric medicine at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
It’s a cause close to Tony’s heart, having himself lost twins in his first marriage, aged just 21.
The first walking challenge marked a long-awaited return to fitness for the grandad of 11 and great-grandad of six who underwent lifesaving heart surgery four years prior – and whilst still recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder following a serious accident.
“My late wife and I lost twins in my first marriage when I was just 21. One was stillborn and one died in my arms on the way to the hospital. Even though it was 50 years ago that torments me to this day. There’s not a day goes by when I don’t think about that.”
Rachel said: “Tony has been a great ambassador for Molly Ollys and has certainly gone above and beyond to help make a difference. The awareness that he has raised in the local community and beyond is really important to us as a small charity and the funds raised are very much appreciated by the children and families that we support. Thank you and good luck Tony!”
To find out all the ways you can donate to Molly Olly’s Wishes, visit the website.
To sponsor Tony visit HERE.
Pictured (L-R): Rachel Ollerenshaw, Tony Cunningham and Bernard Fitzpatrick with charity mascot Olly The Brave
