Captain Bob completes fundraising challenge for Harrogate NHS then keeps going

Former Yorkshire Warrior Bob Hinchcliffe said he was inspired by Captain Tom Moore's efforts and decided to follow his example for his own 66th birthday which took place two days after the legendary fundraiser reached 100 years of age.

The Kirkby Malzeard resident took on his challenge while fighting his own battle against cancer and has already raised more than £2,000 for the NHS charity.

Mr Hinchliffe said: "There are a few similarities between myself and Captain Tom.

"We were both born in West Yorkshire, Captain Tom was commissioned into the Duke of Wellington's Regiment and I was commissioned into the Yorkshire Volunteers Regiment, both of which have been amalgamated into the recently formed Yorkshire Regiment, known as Yorkshire's Warriors. We both also owe a lot to the NHS."

Bob, who was shielding for 12 weeks because the cancer treatment he has been receiving modifies the body's immune system to fight the cancer cells putting him into the 'high risk' category, is now undergoing his next series of treatments at the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre in Harrogate.

Before beginning the fundraising, Mr Hinchcliffe said he was going to walk/run around his garden with his old Army Bergen backpack for 66 days filled with a progressively increasing weight.

His aim was to get up to 66lbs (30kg) by day 66.

Such was his determination, Mr Hinchcliffe smashed it.

It was then he decided to carry on!

What 'Captain Bob' has done so far after 73 days

Total weight carried to date 3877 lbs (or 1.73 tons, of 1,759 kgs).

Equivalent of 376 flights climbed.

Steps taken 156,618.

Distance travelled 90.83 kilometres (or 56.45 miles).

Time spent doing the challenge 1,596 minutes (or 26.61 hours).

Speaking on his 73rd day of the challenge, Mr Hinchcliffe said: "It's quite a shock doing it after a break of 30 years.

"I agreed that if donations continued to come in then I would extend the 66 days to 92 days so that I would finish on August 1, otherwise known as Yorkshire Day.

"My debt to the NHS is huge. Without the fantastic treatment I have received I may not have been here now.

"Perhaps a new motto for NHS should be 'Who Cares Wins'?

More Harrogate hotels to reopen in boost for town centre

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.