Tom Daley Comic Relief: Tom Daley walked from London to Plymouth for Comic Relief. Tom’s journey home will consist of four days of open-water swimming and cycling along some of Britain’s most difficult routes. In the process, he will row down the Thames and complete an ultra-marathon. Tom Daley is going on “one of the toughest challenges of his life” by Tackling four different sports to earn money for Comic Relief.
This year, the Plymouth-born Olympic diver and gold medalist is taking on a massive task to raise money for Comic Relief. In what has been dubbed “the devil of a homecoming,” he will row, swim, cycle, and run his way from London to Plymouth. All funds raised by Comic Relief on Red Nose Day, which falls on Friday, February 18 this year and other fundraising efforts in support of Comic Relief’s life-changing programs are donated. “I’ve never done anything like this before,” Tom said in an interview with BBC One about the upcoming adventure. Despite having trained for the Olympics, I have never done any endurance training, let alone swimming in that frigid water. You should be aware that it is extremely cold outside. There will be a lot of work ahead of us, but hopefully, we will be able to raise a lot of money for Comic Relief, because that is what it all boils down to.
What if I’m not ready?” Maybe this is the best I can do for the time being
“On Red Nose Day, national hero and diving superstar Tom Daley will take on an epic endurance challenge as he rows and runs from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford to his hometown of Plymouth for one hellish homecoming – all to raise money for life-changing Comic Relief projects in support,” according to the Comic Relief website. “Tom’s journey home will take four days and include open-water swimming, cycling some of the country’s toughest roads, rowing the Thames, and running an ultramarathon. This assignment will push Tom to his absolute limits and beyond his comfort zone when it comes to Red Nose Day. Tom requests that you make a donation to help alleviate poverty, violence, and discrimination in communities across the United Kingdom and around the world as a token of his gratitude.
TOM’S RETURN TO HIS FAMILY
On Red Nose Day, national hero Tom Daley will take on a massive endurance challenge for Comic Relief, rowing, cycling, and swimming from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford to Plymouth for a one-of-a-kind homecoming – all in the name of Comic Relief’s life-changing projects. Tom will swim in open waters, ride some of our country’s most difficult routes, row down the Thames, and complete an ultra-marathon while on his way home. Tom will be pushed to the limit and out of his comfort zone if he accepts the Red Nose Day challenge. Tom would be grateful if you could help alleviate poverty, violence, and discrimination in the UK and around the world by making a donation.
I FAILED IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
Tom will visit some of the most meaningful sites in his life along the way, with the help of friends, family, and other Olympians. This will be a difficult task for him, and he will need your assistance. Please consider donating in Tom’s name to help communities all over the world escape poverty, violence, and discrimination.
WHERE DID TOM COME FROM?
He is the most decorated diver for Team GB, having won 11 gold medals in various international diving competitions during his career (World, Commonwealth, European, and Olympic). In the 10m synchro event, he and his diving partner Matty Lee won their first gold medal together in Tokyo 2020. Tom and his husband Dustin Lance Black became parents for the first time while competing in the Tokyo Olympics. While competing, he views his knitted creations to be the ultimate form of mindfulness, self-claiming his feat for Team Great Knittin’. Tom received the OBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours for his work as a human rights activist and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
THE COMEDY ADVOCATES
WHAT MODIFICATIONS MAKE TO YOUR APPEAL FILM?
We’ve been reconsidering how we approach fundraising films in the last year to focus on the people we’re attempting to help rather than ourselves. In other words, people on the ground, such as project staff, doctors, teachers, and community members, tell our tales.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU APPLIED THIS BRAND-NEW THOUGHT PROCESS?
We used this method in March to produce a series of compelling appeal films for Sport Relief. We were able to focus attention on those we help by having local people present or narrate our films instead of inviting guests and superstars. It’s also true that it works. This year’s Global Homelessness Report features stories about British women who have been reunited with their families after being helped back into housing, volunteer lifeboat rescues in Greece, and outstanding organizations that help distribute extra food to hungry families across the UK. Sport Relief this year was a fantastic example of how far we’ve come.
WILL CELEBRITIES BE SENT TO INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS ON RED NOSE DAY 2021?
We have no plans to bring celebrities to one of our global ventures in 2021. Celebrities may still be considered for international projects in the future, but only if they are completely led by locals. Someone mentioned the charity’s “White Saviors,” but I can’t seem to discover any information about them. Is this something to do with your recent overseas appeals?
DO YOU WANT MY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE?
Our international appeal films have recently undergone some revisions, and some of the feedback we’ve gotten has been negative. We value all of our followers, regardless of where they came from, and we’re excited to share our news with you all in the words that follow.
We stated in October 2020 that for Red Nose Day 2021, we will use local people in front of the camera and local filmmakers in the background of our global appeals. Previously, high-profile, well-known supporters led our global appeals, making site visits to projects and sharing their firsthand experience. As audiences became more aware of the world around them, it became clear that this formula needed to be modified in order to stay current. Both our programs and their supporters deserve the freedom and authority to tell their own stories, as well as the opportunity to hear them from the people who matter the most. If we broaden our creative links across Africa, our international appeal films will be better than ever, as we hope spectators will see.
The charity is known for working with high-profile supporters who have frequently led films on camera for international project visits, which has been extremely successful and has helped raise £1.4 billion over the years, and they will continue to play an important role on the night by presenting Red Nose Day TV shows. The organization has been pushed and updated over the last 18 months to find the correct balance between publicizing significant international concerns and ensuring authentic local voices are at the forefront. This year’s Sport Relief reflected these shifts, with prominent supporters narrating the beginning of some international videos and project employees and local people leading the story on camera.
