Man, 89, gears up for final fundraiser

A man with skin and prostate cancer has begun training to complete a 90-hour fitness challenge in his 90th year.

The RAF veteran will undertake the feat over 12 days in June 2025, raising money for Help for Heroes and Cancer Research.

Suffering from side-effects from his cancer treatment, Mr Ayling said he knows that it is not going to be easy but exercising helps him feel healthy, both mentally and physically.

This will be Mr Ayling's final fitness fundraiser having completed several over the years, including cycling 100 hours over 10 days.

Mr Ayling was diagnosed with skin and prostate cancer in 2023.

"You can overcome the ups and downs of a cancer diagnosis if you get up and do five minutes, ten minutes a day, walking around the garden, going to the gym, that's going to make such a difference to your life," he said.

The diagnosis came as a "blow" having recovered from breast cancer in 2020 but staying fit and healthy remains key to Mr Ayling's positive outlook.

He said: "When I was told I had cancer it was a blow but, [keeping active], has helped me handle it."

In June Eric Ayling will complete 90 hours of static bike and rower over 12-days to raise money for charity

Under the guidance of his coach at the Springfield Community Campus in Corsham, Mr Ayling has started his training programme.

He is completing three, one-hour cardiovascular sessions a week and hopes to increase this gradually leading into June and the start of the challenge.

Suffering side-effects from his cancer treatment Mr Ayling said he has "good days and bad days" and sometimes it's important to sleep and let the body recover but that "not giving up" is vital.

'Tough childhood'

Mr Ayling joined the RAF at the age of 17 having spent most of his childhood in an orphanage.

His father died the same year Mr Ayling was born, and his mother was no longer able to look after him.

During his first posting with the RAF, his Sergeant encouraged him to take up boxing to help him process what Mr Ayling described as a "tough childhood".

He served for 10 years and represented the RAF as a featherweight boxer in the inter service championships before leaving to become a boxing and athletics coach near Salisbury.

'Inspirational man'

Squadron Leader Simon Cruse from MOD Corsham is helping Mr Ayling having met him at a previous fundraising challenge, he said: "(He's) an inspirational man and he's very humble."

"It's Eric's drive, it's Eric as a person, it's everything he's been through, it's the message he tries to promote about staying healthy and happy - that link between physical and mental health and above all the work he does for fantastic charities.

"The least we can do is make sure his last hurrah is a successful one.

"90 years old, 90 hours let's see if we can get a good reach for two great charities."