A COVENTRY great-grandad is walking ten miles every day throughout the year to raise cash for a Warwick children’s charity.
The 75 year-old who underwent a quadruple heart bypass has pledged to repeat a mammoth challenge and raise money for Molly Ollys.
Tony Cunningham has been completing laps around the city’s Memorial Park, which started on November 30, when he was seen off by local dignitaries, including The Lord Mayor of Coventry Mal Mutton.
On December 5, Tony gave up the park and walked the equivalent of 10 miles around Coventry City Football Club stadium.
He was joined by ex-City player Dave Busst.
Dave 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.
Dave 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.”
Tony clocked 5,000 miles during laps in 2022 which is the length of Coventry to Phoenix in Arizona.
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.
“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.”
Tony added that he is looking forward to being regularly accompanied on some walks by an old school pal, 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 fundraisier in 2022.
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.
It’s a cause close to Tony’s heart, having himself lost twins in his first marriage, aged just 21.
“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.”
