Charity fundraiser Speedo Mick will be embarking on a final 1,000-mile stomp next week - before hanging up his Everton trunks for good.
Michael Cullen, 58, will brave the freezing temperatures one last time walking from John O’Groats, Scotland, to Land’s End in Cornwall in nothing but his famous blue swimwear, trusty boots, and Everton scarf. For the past seven years, open water swimmer and Everton fan Mick has raised more than £800,000 for causes close to his heart such as mental health and homelessness.
Mick is hoping this year’s trek will take that figure up to £1m, ending his years of epic fundraising on an equally epic note. Mick, whose drive to support grassroots charities stems from past struggles with severe depression and addiction, said: “It would mean the world to me.
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“It’s been an eight-year dream. Especially after being in that place where I lost my family, lost my self-respect, lost my dignity, lost my hope. And now I’ve got all that back: I’ve got my dignity, my self-respect, and my family back - and I certainly got a lot of hope.”
Over the past seven years, Mick has been striving to give some of that hope back to the public - particularly underprivileged youth, people struggling with mental health, and homelessness.
He said: “It’s not me just doing the walk. All the positive messages I get keep me going when at my wit’s end. I see a message: ‘Keep on stomping, you’ve inspired me to get out of the house today’ and that just gives me a massive boost. It’s like an injection that carries me for the rest of the day.”
After minor health issues compelled him to postpone his departure by a couple of weeks, Speedo Mick is set to start the hike on December 29. A GoFundMe has been launched to collect donations.
He said: “Everything is fine and sound, but there’s a big process before I can get to the starting line. What I’m doing is extreme. I have to make sure I am 100%.”
And this year’s route is nothing short of extreme as Mick plans to take on Ben Nevis - the highest mountain in the UK, located in the Scottish Highlands.
Mick has already announced this stomp will be his last as he wishes to pick up new projects, spend more time with loved ones - and get some well-deserved rest.
Super-fit Mick, who has twice been nominated for a Pride of Britain Award, first hit the headlines in 2014 by swimming the English Channel in just under 16 hours - despite being a novice swimmer.
He turned up to Everton’s next home game in a pair of blue Speedos with ‘Channel Swimmer’ written on his chest, and his famous look was born.
In 2017, the community hero, from Dovecot, walked 700 miles from Everton’s Goodison Park ground to the French city of Lyon, raising funds for Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. In 2019 he completed a 1,000-mile walk from John O’Groats to Land’s End and raised half a million pounds, far exceeding his initial target of £100,000.
Last year, he broke a personal record by covering 2,500 across the UK and Ireland over five months, giving £250,000 back to grassroots charities along the way.
This year, Mick wants to bring special attention to issues surrounding mental health as he worries the cost of living crisis will put many struggling people at risk - particularly over the winter months.
He said: “People talk about families, Christmas dinners, going out and being merry… But this time of year is a very, very dark and lonely place for a lot of people. That can get lost in the Christmas spirit.”
The cause for suicide prevention is especially close to his heart as he has himself gone through dark times when he considered ending his life.
He continued: “No one wants to talk about suicide, but we need to. We need to be able to reach out. Your mental health tells you it’s not worth it but when you open up to the right person and say ‘I’m in trouble,’ something happens. People need to speak.
"Please, reach out. There’s a power in speaking out loud. It takes a lot of courage - but it does make a difference. It can get you the help that you need. “
This last stomp does not mark the end of Mick’s charity work as he will be working on opening a mental health hub with the SpeedoMick Foundation in Liverpool.
Looking back at years of impressive achievements, he remembers times when recovery from his struggles seemed “impossible” and hopes his endeavour will continue inspiring others to “keep on stomping.”
He said: “When I first started doing this, a couple of Everton shareholders invited me to go to a meeting in London and asked me ‘What is it that you want to do with this?’ and I went ‘You know what? I’d like to raise a million quid”. And they looked at each other as if to say ‘He’s dreaming.’ I got that same look when I told people I was going to swim the English Channel. And yet - here I am. They obviously didn’t know what I was capable of.”
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