TIMPERLEY resident Tony Collier was so determined to raise money for the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust that, last year, he entered the most gruelling marathon in the world – Comrades – a 56 mile run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg which involved much climbing in searing heat.

It was a disaster. His knee seized up after he had completed the Manchester Marathon in new shoes which, he believes, may have caused the problem He stopped training for six weeks.

After bravely running 17 miles up hill in agony, he gave up. His friends rallied round and raised over £7,000 in sponsorship.

Tony, the chairman of Altrincham and Sale chamber of Commerce, said: “I was distraught. It had been my goal.”

His second attempt, this time from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, was threatened when, while training, he slipped on wet leaves causing a bad ankle sprain. “After a three week break I carried on training, despite the pain,” he said.

Throughout, his wife, Tracey, looked after him giving him water and saying “you can do it!”

“Watching the dawn over the valley of 1000 hills was amazing but you knew that the next major challenge would be the rising sun and heat,” he said of the run.

“Another great event was passing the Ethembeni School for Disabled Children and given the kids high fives.

“By the time we finished I felt pretty wretched. Crossing the line with hands held high was one of the greatest moments of my life.”

The 59-year-old 400th out of 3,400 entrants in his age group.