Oxfordshire octogenarian walks 80 miles in 80 hours - raising over £2,500 for charity
On 29 September, Tony Dale, 80, began an 80-mile walk from Cambridge back to his hometown, planning to walk the distance in 80 hours to mark his 80th birthday which he celebrated on 5 September.
A keen walker, Tony set himself the challenge to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy UK, the leading charity for more than 110,000 people in the UK living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions. He has raised £2,575 to date.
Explaining the motivation behind the challenge, Tony Dale said: “I’ve always enjoyed walking and feel fortunate to still be on my feet and have full use of my muscles. Some people are not so lucky, which is why I wanted to support Muscular Dystrophy UK. The money I’ve raised will help fund research into these rare conditions as well as support those living with muscular dystrophy who may not be able to enjoy walking like I do.”
Last year, Tony took part in a group walk along the Jurassic Coast for Macmillan Cancer Support, which inspired him to think of his own challenge. The idea for his 80-mile walk began when Tony received an invitation to his Cambridge University college reunion. “The invitation to my college reunion arrived at the start of this year and got me thinking,” explains Tony. “When I saw the date, I knew that meant I would be in Cambridge close to my 80th birthday. So, I thought, ‘why not set myself a challenge, and walk back home to Oxford!’ I knew I wanted to raise money for charity at the same time, so it all came together from there – 80 miles in 80 hours for my 80th birthday.”
Supported by his wife Pam as the back-up driver, as well as friends and family who joined him at the end of the walk in Oxford, Tony completed the walk in 83 hours, slowed down slightly by heavy rainfall. “I got very wet on day three and the rain also meant I was diverted by flooding as I approached Oxford the following day. But otherwise, it all went well, and I was joined by two good friends for the final six miles. I discovered public footpaths I wasn’t aware of, like the one through Woburn Deer Park, and enjoyed some wonderful views along the way.
“It wasn’t all straightforward – at one point I found myself having to crawl through a bramble thicket on my hands and knees! But I’m happy I did it and my welcome reception in Oxford was well worth the effort. I couldn’t have done it without Pam’s support and I’m so grateful to everyone who has donated so far and was there to cheer me on at the end.”
Phil Heighway, Regional Development Manager at Muscular Dystrophy UK said: “We’re so grateful to Tony for choosing to support us and taking on this incredible 80-mile walking challenge to mark his 80th birthday. Thanks to fundraising like this, we can continue to provide life-changing support to those who need it, and fund groundbreaking research to improve understanding of muscle wasting conditions and accelerate new treatments.”
Support Tony’s fundraising at www.justgiving.com/page/anthony-dale
Find out more about Muscular Dystrophy UK at www.musculardystrophyuk.org