Thanks to six pairs of footwear, more than 250 hot drinks and over 10 million steps, a 73-year-old Coventry man has revealed how he walked 5,000 miles in one year to raise money for charity.
Coventry resident and great grandfather Tony Cunningham has helped Warwick-based charity Molly Ollys raise over £11,000 after walking an average of 14 miles each day during 2022.
Tony’s goal, to raise money and awareness of Molly Ollys, has seen him tread a route through the War Memorial Park in -5 to 35-degree temperatures, drawing donations from three different continents.
Tony’s official final distance stands at 5,012.5 miles, the equivalent of walking to Dhaka in Bangladesh or Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, with daily hot drinks from The Park Bistro in War Memorial Park helping to break up the distance and stay warm during the colder months.
Starting at 4.30am in summer and 6am in winter, Tony managed to shed 10kg due to the regular exercise, carrying a 1L bottle of fluid with him and sugary snacks for an energy boost. He also burned through three pairs of trainers and three pairs of walking boots as he tackled mud, ice, torrential rain and extreme weather warnings across the year.
Throughout the challenge, which saw Tony miss just a few days of action due to being treated in hospital for blood clots, countless members of the public stopped to say hello and offer their support.
Tony said that this, as well as joining hundreds of committed joggers at the Park Run every weekend, was a major catalyst to keep going on days when the challenge seemed too big to complete.
He said: “The support I have had from strangers, people who know nothing about me other than seeing me walking around the park, has been incredible and really kept me going at times. Little moments throughout the year have played a huge part.
“It’s all been about the charity, and it’s been a great feeling to be able to support them and nice to connect with so many people along the way. Some have said they have been inspired to get active or start fundraising, which is really encouraging and uplifting.
“I must have had over 250 hot drinks during the year. I’ve made use of The Park Bistro most days since its refurbishment, and it’s provided a really good HQ to meet people and have a break.
“I even reunited with an old school friend, who happens to be an avid walker at the park, after almost 60 years. We didn’t realise we knew each other at first, but discovered we had been classmates at Bishop Ullathorne after chatting. Having that connection with someone of the same age has definitely helped to keep me motivated.
“Now it’s all finished, I do feel like I’m missing that purpose every day, and I’m keen to get back out there to exercise and do what I can to carry on raising money.”
Ryan Hobday, Manager at The Park Bistro, which is operated by No Ordinary Hospitality Management (NOHM), said: “We’ve seen Tony most days since reopening and he has definitely become a local Coventry celebrity, more than just a familiar face in the park.
“What he has achieved is absolutely incredible, and we hope he continues to stop in for a hot drink and chat now the challenge is over.”
Rachel Ollerenshaw, co-founder of Molly Ollys, said; “What Tony managed to achieve is mind-blowing when you stop and think about it. Most of us would find it a real challenge to walk 10 miles on one day, but Tony did that throughout 2022.
“We must not underestimate how determined and focused he was to be able to wake up every day around 4.30am and haul himself out of bed to raise money for Molly Ollys.
“Tony did that to help the very poorly children that we support and I know all of Team Molly Ollys and every family we help is so very grateful for his support. He has made a real difference to their lives with this money.”
To find out more about Molly Ollys, please visit www.mollyolly.co.uk
Caption: Tony Cunningham met with friends and supporters at the Park Bistro in War Memorial Park on the final day of his 5,000-mile challenge
To find out more about The Bistro at War Memorial Park, visit www.warmemorialparkbistro.co.uk