An 82-year-old former powerboat racer has completed an extraordinary 24-hour test of endurance at Sale Water Park, breaking four world records and raising thousands of pounds for charity. Manchester-born Tony Fahey led a team of four on his ambitious 'walk on water' challenge.
The Challenge
The specially designed human-powered watercraft remained in motion from noon on May 7 to noon the following day. Spectators gathered throughout the 24-hour challenge to watch the team glide across the water on the bespoke craft. Tony and the team achieved four world-record milestones: walking on water for two hours; walking on water for five miles; walking on water for 24 hours; more than 100km walking on water.
Fundraising Success
The challenge has raised more than £30,000 for Make-A-Wish UK, which grants life-changing wishes to children living with critical illness. Tony said: "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. Thank you to everyone for helping make this challenge possible."
Road to Recovery
The feat follows a life-threatening accident in 2021, when Tony was struck by a car while out walking. After emergency surgery and 18 months of rehabilitation, he channelled his recovery into training for this challenge, preparing five days a week.
The Craft
Tony commissioned a design engineer to take charge of the project, resulting in the creation of the 'aqua elliptica'. The human-powered craft works in a similar way to a cross trainer, using a forward walking-style elliptical motion to move across the water.
Charity Response
“What Tony achieved over 24 hours is nothing short of extraordinary. To take on a challenge of this scale at 82 years old, particularly after such a serious accident just a few years ago, is incredibly inspiring,” said Alison Doidge, from Make-A-Wish UK. “Every pound raised will help us grant life-changing wishes for children living with critical illnesses across the UK, creating moments of joy and hope for families facing unimaginably difficult circumstances. We’re hugely grateful to Tony and everyone who has supported this challenge.”
Future Plans
This marks the first in a planned series of endurance and water-based record attempts, all designed to raise as much money as possible to help grant life-changing wishes for children living with critical illness. Donations are still open, and supporters can contribute via Tony’s JustGiving page.
