Former Rochdale footballer completes 3,000 press-up challenge for cancer

Hughen Riley

Former Rochdale AFC player Hughen Riley has just completed a month-long press-up challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

The 75-year-old, who played for Rochdale, Bury, Crewe and Bournemouth before retiring, successfully ran fourteen different pubs for forty years until he was diagnosed with myelofibrosis on 16 December 2020, a rare form of bone marrow cancer that disrupts the body's normal production of blood cells.

Since then, Hughen has been spending time with his family and dogs but most recently decided to take upon the challenge of completing a hundred press-ups a day throughout November, for a total of 3,000, to raise money for a donation to Cancer Research UK.

Mr Riley said: “Our target was £150 and we’ve managed to reach £500. I started off doing four batches of twenty-five throughout the day but just last week I was doing seventy and then thirty, so my overall health has improved as well.

“We have a little gym in the garage where myself and my son have been doing it.”

He also said that he has no intentions of stopping any time soon, adding that he’ll “carry on into the new year” and see how much more money they can raise.

Recently, Rochdale AFC and Bournmouth have recognised Mr Riley's efforts and have been inviting him to match day meals and other club events to show their support.

To donate to the fundraising page: fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/hughens-100-push-ups-giving-page.