A grandfather who relearned how to walk after being struck in a 50mph crash is now preparing for a world record water-walking challenge, with hopes of raising £1million for charity.
Tony Fahey, 82, suffered life-changing injuries nearly five years ago when he was hit by a car while out walking. He underwent 18 months of intensive rehabilitation and at one stage was unsure if he would ever walk again.
During his recovery, Manchester-born Mr Fahey spent several hours a day on a cross-trainer rebuilding strength in his legs.
It was during this time, and driven by a determination to give something back, that the grandfather-of-16 first developed the idea of a water-walking challenge.
Now, father-of-six Mr Fahey will attempt to walk on water continuously for 24 hours in aid of the children’s charity Make-A-Wish, with the goal of raising £1million.
He will lead the Walking on Water challenge at Sale Water Park in Trafford, Greater Manchester, on 7 and 8 May.
Alongside a team of tour, Mr Fahey will use a specially designed human-powered ‘aqua elliptica’ to complete the venture – a watercraft that uses a forward walking-style motion to move across the water.
Mr Fahey, a retired businessman, said the challenge is not just about him, but ‘proving what’s possible, no matter your age or circumstances.’
Tony Fahey, who relearned how to walk after being struck in a 50mph crash, is now preparing for a world record water-walking challenge, with hopes of raising £1 million for charity
Mr Fahey (pictured) will use a specially designed human-powered ‘aqua elliptica’ to complete the challenge – a watercraft that uses a forward walking-style motion to move across the water
He said: ‘I’ve rebuilt myself step by step.
‘My greatest wish is to raise as much money as possible for the children.
‘This is only the start of what I want to achieve for Make-A-Wish. I plan to take on more challenges over the next couple of years, each one pushing me further than the last!’
To prepare for the endurance challenge, Mr Fahey has been training five days per week and has taken the aqua elliptica for various test rides.
Yet this is not Mr Fahey’s first brush with record-breaking challenges.
In 1977, he persuaded legendary racing mechanic Leo Villa OBE – chief engineer to Sir Malcolm Campbell MBE and later Donald Campbell CBE, and a key figure in Britain’s historic land and water speed record programmes – to come out of retirement and mentor him.
Mr Villa went on to guide Fahey into Formula One powerboat racing, where he quickly found success in Grand Prix events, including the Paris six-hour race, competitions in Belgium, and races on Lake Windermere.
Within a year of Mr Villa’s involvement, Fahey had set two world records and a British national record, earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
His achievements included the R6-category speed world record, which remains unbroken today, as well as the world production-engine powerboat record and the British national water speed record.
During one of his runs on Lake Windermere, Mr Fahey also reached a peak speed of 158mph, underlining the scale of performance achieved during his record attempts.
Supporters can follow Mr Fahey’s water-walking journey and preparation on social media, and donate to his fundraiser for Make-a-Wish, here.
