Meet the dad who will be strapped to the top of a Boeing Stearman aircraft at 140mph in an extreme wing walk

John Tunnicliffe, 70, from Lytham St Annes, will reach a height of 800ft and maximum speed of 140mph during the extreme stunt. 

Taking his passion for fund-raising to new heights, he’ll be doing the charity wing walk on Friday, April 14 in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK).

At the age of just 16, John’s daughter, Sarah, was diagnosed with limb girdle muscular dystrophy, which is a progressive muscle-wasting condition.

Sarah’s condition means that her muscles are unable to rebuild themselves or maintain strength.  John’s fundraising mission will help fund research into treatments for rare, life-limiting muscle-wasting conditions and support the 110,000 children and adults across the UK affected by these conditions.

John said: “Sarah amazes me and I’m very proud of her. She’s had a lot of challenges right the way through school, university and with her being in full time work with the NHS, but she always seems to find a way. MDUK have given support advice and friendship to my daughter, and the research they carry out will one day help others with the many types of muscular dystrophy, so I want to raise as much as possible.”

John is a keen fundraiser, having previously braved the fastest zip wire in the world in Snowdonia for charity, so naturally when he received the wing walk experience as a gift for his 70th birthday, he jumped on the opportunity to raise funds for MDUK – a charity close to his heart. 

The charity has played an instrumental role in supporting Sarah throughout her muscular dystrophy journey through her teens into adulthood; through specialist medical interventions, funding for adapted equipment, and providing advice through its free helpline and receiving support at peer support groups. 

 Sarah said: “Being at support groups in a conference room full of people who walk the same way as me, sharing similar experiences of our conditions, is one of the strangest but best situations. Over the years, the people I have met and the help I’ve received wouldn’t have been possible without fundraising for MDUK, and that’s why it means so much for my family and friends to be involved. It’s fantastic to know that the ongoing clinical research will benefit somebody like me in the future.”

Muscle-wasting conditions cause muscles to weaken and waste over time, leading to increasingly severe disability. Some affect the heart and muscles vital for breathing, cutting lives short. They may be inherited or strike out of the blue.  

There is currently no cure, but research to develop potential treatments is showing great promise.  

To support the Tunnicliffe family in raising funds for MDUK, visit justgiving.com/page/john-tunnicliffe-wingwalk.

The Muscular Dystrophy UK charity offers practical and emotional support for people with a muscle-wasting condition and their families at every stage.  

For more information or to help support the charity’s work, visit musculardystrophyuk.org or call the free helpline on 0800 652 6352 (open Monday to Thursday from 10am until 2pm).