An 82-year-old grandfather has raised thousands for sick children after completing a gruelling 24-hour water marathon and breaking two world records. Tony Fahey, from Cheshire, recruited a four-person team of two sons and two grandchildren and worked with a designer to build a human-powered watercraft he describes as 'a boat with a cross-trainer on it'.
The team planned to take turns in two-hour shifts but Tony himself took on the first leg and smashed his own personal best with a stretch of 2 hours 20 minutes, during which time he covered an impressive five miles — the longest any of the team did in one hit — and earned him two world records. The gargantuan effort took its toll, and Tony was carried off the pontoon when he finished.
The team – sons Sebastian and Christian, granddaughter Aimee and grandson Charlie – who took it in turns to 'walk on water' through the night, have been training five days a week for the challenge, which they had hoped would be record-breaking. They set out to cover 80 km, but their GPS tracker finally read 104.97 km, taking them into the record books yet again.
There was little rest, with fatigue and cold setting in after dark. A blow-up bed set up by the water gave respite here and there – but, Tony said, this was a battle of wills. Despite putting the work in beforehand, they knew it would be tough. 'It’s not an easy thing to do,' Tony told Metro. 'This challenge took its toll on my 82-year-old body like nothing before. The non-stop walking, pulling and pushing motions drove through every muscle and joint. Exhaustion really set in when the sun set and we continued without a break. I wanted to quit more times than I could count.'
Tony, a former powerboat racing champion, is no stranger to endurance – nor to breaking records. In 1977, he persuaded legendary racing mechanic Leo Villa OBE – chief engineer to Sir Malcolm Campbell and Donald Campbell and a key figure behind their historic land and water speed record efforts – to mentor him. Villa came out of retirement to support Tony’s entry into Formula One powerboat racing where he achieved great success in Grand Prix events, including the famous Paris 6-hour race, competitions in Belgium and races on Lake Windermere, where he reached speeds of 158 mph.
Within just one year, Villa’s mentoring led to Tony breaking two world records and one British national record: the R6-category speed World Record (which remains unbroken today), the world production-engine powerboat record and the British National water speed record. Tony came up with the idea to raise money for Make-A-Wish after a life-changing accident in February 2021, where he was hit by a car travelling at 50 mph while out on his daily walk during the covid pandemic. He suffered severe injuries and was told he might never walk again. During his 18-month rehabilitation, he spent many hours on the cross trainer to regain strength in his legs.
The experience inspired Tony, who has six children and 16 grandchildren, to want to help others, especially children, who are facing illness. 'My greatest wish is to raise as much money as possible for the children,' he said. 'This is only the start of what I want to achieve for Make-A-Wish. I plan to take on more challenges, each one pushing me more than the last.'
What does he make of inevitable comparisons to the unforgettable Captain Tom? 'People have kindly compared me to the late, great Captain Sir Tom Moore, who inspired us all with his garden laps for the NHS,' he says. 'I’m no Captain Tom, he was a true national hero who captured the hearts of the nation at 99. But like him, at 82, I simply wanted to push my limits for a cause bigger than myself.'
Pushing through the night, the team wrapped up the challenge and were helped from the water by crowds that had gathered, including Tony’s five siblings and his children and grandchildren. Speaking as he celebrated with a large bottle of champagne, Tony says: 'I’ve endured difficult physical challenges before, not least the journey that brought me to the point where I could even dream of walking on water. Yet I have no hesitation in calling this the toughest of them all. When I felt like quitting, my team kept reminding me of the children we are doing this for and together we pushed on to the end.'
Depleted but not defeated, the irrepressible pensioner is already cooking up another challenge. 'We made it – battered, exhausted but unbroken and already thinking of the next,' he says. 'I rebuilt myself step by step. But this isn’t just about me. It’s about proving what’s possible, no matter your age or circumstances.'
