Fundraising duo ready to put in the hard yards on epic walk
A fundraising father and his son have been putting in the hard yards as they get ready for an epic walking challenge.
Manny Singh Kang and his son Jeevan have been out walking four hours each day ahead of a five-day, 195-mile trek from Wolverhampton to Newcastle upon Tyne for the Newcastle United vs Wolves Premier League match on March 2.
It will be the second time Mr Singh Kang, aged 50, has embarked on a long-range trek, having walked from outside Molineux Stadium to Chelsea's Stamford Bridge in October 2022, raising £20,000 for Dementia UK.
The walk will start outside Molineux at 5am on Tuesday, February 27, and will take in stops at Stoke-on-Trent, Huddersfield, Leeming Bar and Durham before arriving in time for kick off in Newcastle on March 2.
Mr Singh Kang said the training had been going well for himself and his 23-year-old son, and spoke about the challenge ahead, with a little bit of unpredictability coming from when Wolves might be playing in the FA Cup.
He said: "We're getting closer to the day of setting off and we've got all our stuff together, all our nutrition and got all our accommodation booked.
"We are still waiting, however, for confirmation of when Wolves are playing Brighton in the FA Cup which, hopefully, should be played on a Wednesday night.
"We've also spoken to the Newcastle United supporters liaison officer, who suggested we finish at the Sir Bobby Robson statue, which will be great as we're starting next to the Billy Wright statue, and then we'll hopefully be able to go onto the pitch and have photos taken.
"Hopefully, the weather will be OK and not too cold and we've been doing the training each day, although you can't really replicate what we're going to be doing on that walk."
Mr Singh Kang said the plan was to cover 45 miles each day, apart from the last day when it will be a 17-mile walk from a friend's house in Durham to St James's Park, and spoke about what he had learned from the previous walk.
He said: "There's a lot of lessons I've learnt from the last one, one of which is that I must be bonkers and crazy to do this again!
"Seriously though, you have to do a lot of walking off-road and on the sides of roads, as they don't have pavements and we'll be on the verges.
"We might also have to take different routes due to flooding and other obstacles, but that's the challenge of it and one I enjoy."
Mr Singh Kang said it was good to have his son joining him this time around, with Jeevan saying he knew it would be a tough challenge, but was looking forward to it.
He said: "We both know that it will be hard, but it all comes down to how you approach it and we're doing it together, so we'll help each other.
"It's worth doing it for Dementia UK as we know that this is a disease with no cure and the work they do is second to none, giving those families the support they need, so that will keep us going."
The duo have also had support from one of their famous fans, with broadcaster Suzi Perry sending a message of support.
She said: "Manny, I know you can’t take a compliment, so I’ll just wish you all the luck for your walk to the Toon.
"At least having your son by your side will bring some sanity and hopefully a route without random fields and confused cows.
"We will be with you every step of the way (on social media).
"Walk well, raise well for this worthy cause and we love you. Out of darkness cometh light."
To find out more and to donate to the walk, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/mkang
