[VIDEO]: Inspiring 100-Year-Old’s Charity Walk Record

Quick Smiles:

• 100-year-old WWII veteran walks around his garden daily to raise money for charity.
• Inspired by the late Captain Tom, Lance Corporal Harold Jones has walked over 661 miles in his garden.
• Jones has raised over £43,000 for the MND Association in just under four years.

A 100-year-old World War II veteran has made it his mission to walk hundreds of miles around his garden, come rain or shine, all for a good cause. Lance Corporal Harold Jones, equipped with his trusty 3-wheeled walker, circles his back garden 30 times every day and has been doing so since 2020.

The centenarian was inspired by the late Captain Tom, who gained worldwide attention for his similar garden walks, raising a significant amount for hospitals during the early days of the pandemic. As a great-grandfather-of-six, Corporal Jones decided to follow in Captain Tom’s footsteps, walking circuits around his bungalow during lockdown.

So far, Jones has taken his walker a total of 661 miles, which is approximately 41,550 laps around his garden – about the same distance from his home in Birmingham to the border of Germany. “I always refer to myself as Lance Corporal Harold. Captain Tom was a captain, so I thought I’d go to the other end of the spectrum,” said Jones, referring to the military hierarchy. “One other reason I started was to keep fit and keep moving. With Covid, we had to stay in and all sorts of things.”

Jones was motivated to raise money after losing three friends to Motor Neurone Disease. As the anniversary of Captain Tom’s death approaches in two weeks, Jones continues to rack up steps in honor of the Captain who touched the hearts of the nation.

The energetic pensioner attributes his long-lasting fitness to his time in the Armed Forces, which provided him with a “high level of endurance.” Harold served in the British Army from 1942 until 1947, stationed first in India and then in Burma during WW2 as a non-combat office worker. He began fundraising for the MND Association and has since raised over £43,000 in just under four years.

“It has become a daily routine ever since. I [first] set out to try and get to £1,000,” he explained. “I didn’t know how people would respond. I reached a grand in a year. When I reached £10,000, a friend doubled it.”

“It’s the walking that keeps me fit. I previously broke my back in three places, but my ankles, knee joints, and hips are perfect. I walk in the morning after breakfast in whatever weather. You have to have the determination to get up and go,” said Harold. “That’s so important.”

Jones’ valiant efforts have been recognized with a Points of Light award from the Prime Minister after the MND Association put his name forward.

So, let’s share this inspiring centenarian and his ‘get up and go’ attitude!

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