A MAN famous for walking thousands of miles in just his underpants to raise money for mental health will be passing through Okehampton and Lifton in April and a party is being planned in his honour!

Okehampton couple Jeff and Cheryl Boxall are arranging a special fundraising event in honour of Michael Cullen, also known as Speedo Mick.

They have started to organise a music event at the Fox and Grapes at Lifton to coincide with Speedo Mick’s arrival in the West Devon region as he walks from John O’Groats to Land’s End to raise money for mental health support and suicide prevention organisations, especially for vulnerable young people.

Mr Boxall said: ‘We still haven’t got an exact date because you can imagine with Mick walking 1,000 miles it’s not gonna be very easy to get the exact date he’s going to be here. Nearer the time we will know of course. We’re hoping it will be Wednesday  April 5 but it could be the sixth if he’s delayed in any way. 

‘We’ve got two of the best bands in West Devon playing there, so it’s going be a really good music night. We’re doing a lot of social media and chasing and fundraising.’

Mr Boxall and his wife, who are both musicians, first met Mick by accident when he happened to stay at the pub where the couple was performing. 

He added: ‘We met him on the first trip he did by pure chance in the pub we stayed at. We were planning to do a bit of music that night, which we ended up doing for him really. And we struck up a friendship then and I said, “you know my partner and I have decided that we’re going to try and help out so we’re organising the music evening at the function”.’

‘He’s done some amazing things. He’s swum the Channel. He’s walked from John O’Groats to Land’s End three times. This is his last one and he’s climbed Ben Nevis, Snowden and Scafell Pike on his way. He’s halfway here.’

Speedo Mick is the founder of the SpeedoMick Foundation, which aims to support vulnerable young people by providing education opportunities, relieving poverty and offering help with mental or physical health.

Mick was inspired to start the charity following his own experiences with homelessness, alcoholism and drug addiction. After getting his life back on track, he set up the charity with a wish to give back to the community and offer help to vulnerable young people who might otherwise find themselves suffering with addiction and homelessness.

The SpeedoMick Foundation primarily looks to support charities and groups that work with young people who may have had a difficult upbringing or childhood for to provide them with the tools to make healthier life decisions as adults. 

As part of his fundraising for the charity, Speedo Mick has become famous for walking and swimming thousands of miles in just his Speedos and a scarf, often starting his walking routes in the middle of winter.

Speedo Mick’s efforts so far have also seen him attend hundreds of football games and has now raised £750,000 for the charity.

For more information visit www.thespeedomickfoundation.org.