Ashley Cain: Reality star and former footballer arrives in Land's End amid 'extremely tough' challenge in memory of daughter

A reality TV star and former footballer has arrived in Land’s End, Cornwall, as he takes on a “world first” challenge in the hopes of raising £100,000 for a children’s cancer charity in memory of his baby daughter Azaylia. Cain began his world record attempt of running, cycling and kayaking more than 2,780 miles across the country, not only to honour the memory of his daughter, but also to raise funds for a good cause.

Writing on his GoFundMe page, 33-year-old Cain wrote: “I will be crossing Britain three times from top to bottom - once running, once cycling, and once kayaking, over the course of three months. “That’s over 2780 miles of physical endurance and mental strength, of turning pain into purpose, none of which would be possible without the guidance and protection of my hero, watching me from above.

“But this isn’t just any world’s first challenge. It’s an opportunity to raise funds for The Azaylia Foundation’s incredible Childhood Cancer PhD Scholarship Programme, which has already funded 5 PhDs. So please donate to this GoFundMe campaign to help us reach our game changing target of 20 PhDs in five years.”

Cain arrived in Land’s End last night (Wednesday 5 June), met by a crowd of supporters. He spoke to the crowd saying: “The most magical times of my life are the most painful. What worries me is that I won’t give up”.

Today (Thursday 6 June) he sets off on a kayak back up to John O’Groats as part of his last leg. Azaylia was diagnosed with an aggressive and rare form of leukaemia when she was only eight-weeks-old, with a subsequent fundraiser to try and save her life reaching more than £1.5 million. She died on April 24, 2021.

During her lifetime, Azaylia's parents raised more than £1.5m to try and save her life, with mother Safiyya Vorajee campaigning to get her treatment in Singapore. When she died, they set up the Azaylia Foundation to raise money for children fighting cancer and their families.

Sharing a picture of himself holding his daughter's hand, Cain posted on Instagram at the time saying: "My heart is shattered.” The money Cain raises during his challenge will go to the Azaylia Foundation. As of Thursday 6 June more than £90,000 has already been donated to the fundraiser.