Capt Sir Tom 100: Family and celebrities embark on their own '100 challenge'

The family of Captain Sir Tom Moore are taking on his famous walking challenge as part of a charity fundraiser on what would have been his 101st birthday.

The Army veteran, who raised almost £33m for NHS charities by walking 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before he turned 100, died on 2 February.

His family have asked people to create their own "100 challenge" for charity.

David Beckham has pledged to do 100 keepy-uppies and Dame Mary Berry will be baking 100 cakes.

The event begins on Friday, which would have been Capt Sir Tom's 101st birthday, and runs until Monday.

To mark the start of the challenge, Capt Sir Tom Moore's family rang the five-minute bell at Lord's cricket ground in London.

The centenarian was a huge fan of the sport and his daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, said: "He would have loved to have done this.

"We talked about it and he was really, really looking forward to it."

Her son, 17-year-old Benjie, said it was "a real shame" his grandfather was not with them at the ground which is known as the Home of Cricket.

"I would have loved to have experienced this with him, but I think he will be looking down and he will be thinking what a pleasure for our family to be here," he said.

Capt Sir Tom, whose fundraising walk in his garden in Marston Moretaine captured the hearts of the nation last year, and generated nearly £39m after Gift Aid, died with coronavirus at Bedford Hospital.

Ms Ingram-Moore urged people to create their own challenge to raise money for the Captain Tom Foundation or a charity of their choice.

"The whole Captain Tom 100 challenge was something that my father was firmly round the table talking with us about," she said. "It has his imprint in it.

"There was only one thing we could do and that was carry on what my father started by walking 100 laps of the runway, the driveway that became so famous."

Ms Ingram-Moore said walking the laps together would be a "reflective" time for the family.

"It's tinged with a little sadness but mostly absolutely about hope for the future and ensuring that his lasting legacy of hope lives on," she said.

Capt Sir Tom Moore's granddaughter Georgia, 12, said the challenge was about people doing things they enjoyed.

"Do what you love like baking and sport, anything you love," she said.

Various celebrities have come up with their own "100 challenge".

Dame Judi Dench will be eating 100 chocolates, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is set to take on 100 pogo jumps and Joe Root will hit a cricket ball 100 times.

Ideas suggested include walking 100 steps, scoring 100 goals, baking 100 cakes or writing a 100-word poem, all while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Ms Ingram-Moore said her father "loved the beach so he would have said build 100 sandcastles or jump 100 waves".

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