23 Oct 2013
On 9th June 2012, London Paramedic Tony McColley will be paddling a kayak from London to Manchester to raise funds for London’s Air Ambulance. He will paddle over 240 miles of the British Waterways canal network, carrying the boat around 190 locks and several tunnels, with little support and no back up crew.
When asked why he said ‘that it was a fitting way to celebrate his recent registration as a paramedic after being trained by the London Ambulance Service’ and that he had ‘Never been to Manchester!’
Tony, who works in the Whipps Cross area of London, has some history of extreme events having competed in the gruelling Marathon des Sables desert race, billed as the toughest running race in the world, and motorcycle desert races. His latest challenge will be wetter but nonetheless testing than those events.
The London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance work alongside each other daily with London’s Air Ambulance being called on for serious trauma incidents in London.
David Oakley, London’s Air Ambulance Charity Director, said: We are so grateful to Tony for choosing London’s Air Ambulance and wish him all the best with his challenge. As a charity, we rely heavily on donations from the public and it is passionate supporters like Tony who help maintain our life-saving service to Londoners.”
- You can sponsor him at JustTextGiving by texting HEMS 99 to 70070
- The kayak will be a travelling collection box so look out for him and post some money through the deck hatch.
You can follow him at http://www.justgiving.com/londontomanchester
