Richard Davies loves playing tennis and when he felt the need to raise funds for a very worthy cause it was to his sport that he turned as he played tennis non-stop at Haverfordwest Tennis Club for 24 hours.During that time he played against 24 members of the club, some even supportive enough to turn up in the middle of the night to play him for an hour and collect sponsorship.
All this is in aid of raising money for our local palliative care centre, Shalom House in St Davids.
As Richard told us,
“The reason I am doing this is that they have cared for my wife Kathy, who has suffered with her illness, Multiple Sclerosis, for the last 16 years, and sadly they have had to reduce the care they provide due to funding problems.
“I am grateful to reach nearly 50 years of age and be very healthy and wanted to help raise some funds and draw attention to this very worthwhile and much-needed service.
Prompt start at 4pm
He started out on the Saturday afternoon at 4pm as he played against club coach Emlyn Williams and from then on he was kept busy by a new opponent every hour, using the superb new floodlights through the night and continuing until 4pm on the Bank Holiday Sunday, with just a five-minute ‘comfort break’ each hour where he could go to the loo, eat some grapes and dried dates, sip warm drinks and make changes of clothing in the wet conditions.He then completed his challenge in style against club president Brian Hearne for half an hour and then chairman Peter Lilley in front of a large crowd there to cheer him on.
“I was thrilled there were so many people there,” said Richard, “and with the adrenalin kicking in I felt I could have carried on for a while longer.
“But it was time to call a halt and, touch wood, I am fine 24 hours later talking to you.
“In fact, there is a club training evening tomorrow and I will be going to that for another game!”
Exceeded all expectations
When Richard started out with his idea to raise funds for Shalom House he would have been delighted with £2,000 to £3,000 but because of the generosity of people in Pembrokeshire, and further afield, he now hopes that his donation will be in the region of £5,000!“All my opponents also gained sponsorship and one of them, Mike Allen, had travelled down from Wrexham to play from midnight to 1pm as an old pal from years back.
“The only time I struggled was around 10.30 pm when I felt a little queasy but that soon cleared up and from then on it was really enjoyable, with a real highlight being the dawn chorus of birds singing in the trees nearby. I think the floodlights started them off early and it was like being in an Amazonian rain forest!
Amazing story
Richard’s story is amazing but even more so because he only returned to tennis three years ago, when he was 46.“I had played tennis for Milford Haven Grammar School and my friends and I used to play on the courts in Glebelands, Johnston in the summer – but that was it until three years ago when on holiday in Spain, where there was a court handy so some friends and I played.
“I took to it straight away and when we got back to this country I decided to start playing again and popped down to Haverfordwest Tennis Club, which is very close at hand for me.
“I was met by a nice lady called Sarah Keogh, who made me very welcome, and I went to the next club night – and I’ve been playing ever since.”
Richard is now on the club committee and, when other commitments allow, plays for the club team against other clubs from as far afield as Carmarthen, Neath, Swansea and Cardiff.
Seed sown for fund-raiser
He read about a young feller who had played tennis for 24 hours in a magazine and that sowed the seeds of his idea, which he then put to the Haverfordwest Tennis Club Committee and it was warmly received.It was decided to make a real occasion of the 24-hour challenge as a novel way of raising awareness of the facilities, especially the new floodlights, with free coaching available on the Sunday for 35 youngsters, giving adults the chance to try ‘cardio-fitness tennis’, providing food and drink, all beautifully rounded off by a ‘Pimms Party’ organised by the indefatigable Sarah Keogh!
Family support
As well as his wife Kathy, Richard received total support from his mother Joyce and a host of friends and at 49 years of age Richard was pleased with the way his fitness held up.“I have always enjoyed most sports and kept fit by running, cycling and swimming,” he told us, “and as a youngster I played at prop for Llangwm Youth and throughout Milford Haven Grammar School alongside good players like Bruce Evans, with Mr Martin Charles a very tough task master in training.
“My late father Grenville and my brother Steve played cricket for Johnston and I joined them as a batsman who kept wicket some times. I scored a century for school once and had a few 50s for Johnston – and enjoyed playing alongside some real characters.
Richard also has flower power
But it is not only sport where Richard’s competitive spirit sparks but in horticulture as well, where again he followed his father. He grows cut flowers, has pot plants galore and for the past 13 years on the trot has won loads of prizes at the County Show, including being the top points winner throughout that time.He had a massive 96 entries last year and is already planning another horticultural assault for 20-14, with his dahlias, cacti and other plants doing very nicely, thank you very much.
More tennis
He’ll also enter the County Tennis Tournament in Haverfordwest, with Steve Haynes as his doubles partner.“We reached the third round last season and are hoping to do as well this year – and I am looking forward to a trip to Wimbledon because we have centre court tickets.”
It is a trip that Steve relishes because the last time he was there he saw Andy Murray play in a match that didn’t finish until 11.20pm!
Well done all
But in the meanwhile he can sort out the final few financial strands of his epic fund-raiser and would like to thank all those who sponsored him, especially the players who took him on, who were as follows:4pm: Emlyn Williams 5pm: Amy Waters 6pm: Liz Green
7pm: Nathan Jones 8pm: Alison Dixon 9pm: Liz Moss
10pm: Ruth Moss 11pm: Danny Cobner Midnight: Kevin Wentworth
1am: Bethan Richards 2am: Louie Warren 3am: Steve Haynes
4am: Gillian Davies 5am: Julie Davies 6am: Andrew Brown
7am: Martine Watson 8am: Richard Dixon 9am: Sarah Keogh
10am: Sarah Newman 11am: Gordon Hardy Noon: Mike Allen
1pm: Julia Brady 2pm: Nicola Sanderson 3pm: Brian Hearne
3.30pm: Peter Lilley
They all played a vital role in this tremendous challenge and subsequent success as they gave him all the encouragement he needed – and he showed how wonderful the Pembrokeshire Sporting fraternity can be in supporting worthy causes like the won so superbly undertaken by Richard Davies – and we salute his fund-raising work for Shalom House!