Tony walks 105 miles for charity
Tony Perfect recently walked the distance between Thornbury Rugby Club in Bristol and Nailsea and Backwell RFC
A close friend, Cheryl Reed, died from cancer in November 2022, so Tony wanted to take on the challenge in her memory. He spoke with Cheryl’s husband and son, who were both …… entirely supportive of the generous gesture.
Starting at Thornbury RFC, Tony set off on his 48-hour journey via 38 clubs within the Bristol Combination family, reaching the finish line at Nailsea and Backwell RFC to a warm reception from the rugby community.
He racked up a total of 105 miles on foot, raising over £5,000 for Sporting Family Change, a local charity set up by former Bath hooker Jimmy Deane. Cheryl was a keen volunteer and supporter of the charity, which works towards empowering positive lifestyle changes in the local area.
Tony’s journey took him to the home of the Bristol Bears, where he was welcomed by Director of Rugby Pat Lam. He also made a stop at Clifton RFC to meet 1st XV player Tom Wilson, who he coached at junior level at Nailsea and Backwell.
At the finish line on March 4, Tony was greeted by a supporting crowd of around 200 people and a guard of honour into the clubhouse, where a well-earned pint was waiting for him.
The walk coincided with a busy day of rugby at the club, as Nailsea and Backwell’s 1st and 3rd XV teams hosted Avonmouth RFC and Keynsham RFC. A post-match raffle with donations from local businesses helped bring the grand total of funds raised to £5,100.
Cheryl’s husband, Ian Reed said: “Tony is a strong, gritty Yorkshire guy. His nickname is Dog which gives you some idea of his character! Having said that, he is kind and, as can be seen by his efforts over that weekend, generous to a fault.
“Cheryl was the sort of person who everybody warmed to. She had the most wonderful smile and a loving, friendly personality. She was someone who left you feeling better about the world after seeing her.
“After her funeral, Tony spoke to me and said that he felt a charity challenge to show how much people cared was a suitable thing to do. As you can imagine I was blown away with the gesture. The afternoon of the arrival at Nailsea and Backwell was amazing, and very emotional.”
Tony said: “I came up with the multi-club walk idea as Ian has been involved in the Bristol Combination for many years, so we worked out a route equating to 100 miles. I added five miles… in order to exceed four marathons in 48 hours, visiting as many of the clubs in the region as I could.
“The internal support from Ian, my good friend Gypo and Nailsea and Backwell President Jeff Morris was amazing. The support from the clubs we visited was great, with some opening at strange times to allow me to have a minute, a cuppa, and sort my feet out.
“The best part of the reception at the end was the fact that Ian finished the walk with me and the hug that his son, Joe, gave me. People from the charity, Ian, Kim my fiancé and my good friend Andy Brindle supported me by walking with me at some difficult times.
“Basically, it was a bunch of good people doing something good for a good cause. Rugby people at their best!”
