Lifelong Wolves fan and fundraiser starts walk to Chelsea to raise money for charity
A veteran fundraiser left Molineux under the cover of darkness during the early hours of the morning to start his mammoth journey to Stamford Bridge.
Manjinder Singh Kang, better known as Manny, has started his walk – which will see him cover over 125 miles – to Chelsea's football ground in West London.
The lifelong Wolves fan is taking on the challenge in aid of Dementia UK, where he is a regional volunteer ambassador, and to raise awareness for them.
The 49-year-old started off on Thursday morning outside the Billy Wright statue to cheers from a range of people, including the city's own Suzi Perry.
He is scheduled to arrive on October 8, the day Chelsea plays Wolves at Stamford Bridge at 3pm, with the fan saying he wanted a "win" after the team's bad form.
At 2pm on the same day, the well-known fundraiser said he had completed 50km of his journey but had another eight hours of walking left to do to get to his first stop at Banbury and was enduring some discomfort.
He said: "It's going to plan so far and I'm looking set to get to Banbury by 10.30pm, so I'll get there about half an hour earlier than planned, which is good.
"However, my knees and calves aren't in the best state at present and I do know that I've got to get up and do it all again tomorrow to get to Amersham."
For Mr Singh Kang, the discomfort he was feeling was only a small thing, compared to what he was raising the funds for.
He said: "That's the thing I keep focusing on and I'm taking my steps and focusing on everyone who donated and everyone who shared their story about a loved one who has suffered or who they've lost from this illness.
"It's been great to get support from the likes of Suzi Perry and Beverley Knight and to see everyone out to see me off this morning was fantastic and shows you can really unify people from all backgrounds when it comes to charity."
The walk on Friday will see Mr Singh Kang walk from Banbury to Amersham in Buckinghamshire, a distance of around 46 miles, where he will meet his family, then complete the walk to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
He said that while he was tense about the game, he said it paled into insignificance compared to what he was doing it for.
He said: "I knew this was going to be hard and everything will be a massive achievement when I get to Chelsea, but it's all about the fundraising for me.
"I will push through the pain and get it done, hopefully with the adrenaline kicking in."
Updates on his journey are being posted through his Twitter account @PedalSingh. To donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/mkang
