Ashley Cain completes 2024 Ultraman challenge raising over £200,000 for childhood cancer

Ashley Cain completed the ‘Ultraman’ challenge this weekend to raise funds for her charity The Azalyia Foundation in honor of her daughter. The former Nuneaton footballer took on the three-time ‘world first’ three-month challenge of running, kayaking and cycling the length of the country.

He made his way down to Land’s End before kayaking back to John O’Groats before completing his journey in Scotland yesterday (July 20), covering 3,000 miles. On Instagram, he wrote that he had raised £196,042 for the charity, founded by him and ex-partner Sofia Vorajee, Azaylia’s mother.

The challenge began on April 24, the three-year anniversary of Azalyia dying of leukemia. He posted a video of the celebrations as he wrapped up his kayaking trip to Scotland.

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He wrote: Three years ago I lost the most beautiful, special and incredible person in my life. The only way I’ve known how to live my life for the past three years is to do what I believe is right, guided by my heart.

“And for the past three years, to do that, all I’ve had to do is look up at the sky every time things get tough and realize it’s looking down on me. And to be able to continue to do that is a blessing, to be able to fight for 80 days there is a blessing, to be able to feel the pain is a blessing.

“The main thing my daughter has taught me… is that even through your darkest moments, you can create someone else’s brighter days. I had the unfortunate task of writing my daughter’s eulogy. Trying to write a eulogy for your daughter…is probably the most difficult thing you will ever have to do as a parent.

He added: “But in that eulogy, I vowed to carry her around the world with nothing but daddy power. On top of every mountain, at the bottom of every valley, along every road and across every ocean. And by keeping my life so simple, I’ve been able to accomplish more in the past three years than I’ve given credit for.”

Azalysia bravely battled Acute Myeloid Leukemia and sadly passed away in April 2021, just eight months old. The Azalyia Foundation was established to help other children battling various forms of cancer.

In this challenge, he raised more than £70,000 for the foundation’s PhD scholarship funds, which aim to support new doctors and new research into childhood cancer. The money has so far funded five doctorates at the University of Birmingham, where Azalyia was treated, and the University of Oxford.

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His mission was to raise enough to pay 20 doctors. Ashley has surpassed the target for the £200,000 GoFundMe page, with a total so far of £210,610 and more than 10,000 donations from supporters. You can still donate to the page by clicking here.